Cornwall man who lost his partner to HIV urges others to get tested
Stephen Hick has been living with the virus himself for the past 20 years
A man from Cornwall who has lived with HIV for 20 years has told others the sooner you get tested the better.
Newquay town councillor Stephen Hick was diagnosed back in the 90s, a year after losing his partner to the virus.
Since then he has faced abuse and ended up in hospital several times with severe pneumonia.
Now, speaking out off the back of National HIV Testing Week, he is urging others to get tested.
"The sooner you start, the better it is for your body because your body is not left alone fighting a really persistent and chronic infection without any support, perhaps for years at a time.
"If you test and treated soon it should make no difference to your lifespan."
Stephen Hick, Newquay town councillor
Stephen wants others to come forward to break the stigma.
"You're not locked in a darkened room and told not to touch anybody, that's not what happens, it's more community based. Getting a diagnosis of a serious condition does change your relationships with people you know."
Stephen Hick
The national HIV testing campaign aims to promote regular testing, which helps to reduce the number of people living with undiagnosed HIV and those diagnosed late.
This ultimately saves lives by allowing people to access vital treatment sooner and make lifestyle changes to stop the spread of the virus.
Anyone can order a home testing kit by visiting the www.freetesting.hiv website.
Thanks to modern antiretroviral treatment, very few people in the UK develop serious HIV-related illnesses.
But statistics show there is still work to do:
• 1 in 16 people with HIV are unaware they have it and spend an average of three to five years not knowing, increasing the risk of passing HIV on to sexual partners.
• Late diagnosis rates are still stubbornly high – in England 42% of people were diagnosed late in 2019 (the most recent year for which figures are available). Late diagnosis means poorer long-term health outcomes and an eightfold increased risk of death. Clinical reviews show many could have been diagnosed sooner.
“HIV has not gone away, and it remains crucial that people are diagnosed as soon as possible to protect both their own health and the health of others.
“National HIV Testing Week is an opportunity to provide a free home HIV test to those who need one whilst relieving pressure on the health system and allowing our NHS colleagues to focus on tackling Covid-19.”
Cllr Sally Hawken, Cornwall Council’s portfolio holder for children, wellbeing and public health
“We now have a range of tests for sexually transmitted infections that can be ordered online directly to your home. Testing for HIV is quick and easy – all it takes is a finger-prick test.”
“People can now live with HIV infection for a long time without any symptoms and testing is the only way to know your HIV status. If you have HIV, finding out means you can start treatment, stay healthy and avoid passing the virus onto anyone else.
“The self-test kits are safe and confidential and enable you to take a test at your own convenience. Anyone diagnosed with HIV in the UK can access free treatment and support.”
Rachel Wigglesworth, director of public health
The main ways the HIV virus is transmitted is through unprotected sex, mother-to-child transmission during pregnancy, sharing needles while taking drugs, and coming into contact with contaminated blood.
Anyone can get HIV but people from some groups or parts of the world are more likely to be affected. In particular, men who have sex with men and black African people are disproportionately affected.
For more information visit www.hivpreventionengland.org.uk, www.startswithme.org.uk and www.tht.org.uk