2022 saw the best ever uptake of HIV testing amongst gay, bisexual, and other men who’ve sex with men (GBMSM), with diagnoses on this group continuing to fall, in line with the most recent HIV surveillance update for the UK. Nevertheless, the info shows work must still be done to enhance testing uptake, particularly amongst ethnic minorities and girls.

The information for England – published by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) – provides an summary of trends in relation to HIV testing, HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP), recent HIV diagnoses, late diagnoses, and the care outcomes for people accessing HIV services.

Regular HIV testing is significant to assist prevent recent infections while also ensuring timely access to treatment that saves lives and prevents the virus being passed on.

The most recent data highlights:

• HIV diagnoses proceed to fall in GBMSM but have risen in heterosexual adults and particularly in women and ethnic minority groups
• 2022 saw the best ever uptake of HIV testing amongst GBMSM in sexual health services (SHSs) but with smaller increases in other groups
• the number of individuals taking PrEP rose between 2021 and 2022 but inequalities in uptake remain by sexual orientation
• half of individuals living with diagnosed HIV were aged 50 years or over in 2022, reflecting the success of HIV treatment in enabling individuals with HIV to have long healthy lives

There have been 94,397 people living with diagnosed HIV infection and accessing care in England in 2022. In 2022, 98% of individuals with diagnosed HIV were on treatment with undetectable virus of their blood in order that it cannot pass on to others. That is generally known as undetectable=untransmittable (U=U).

Testing in SHSs amongst GBMSM is the best ever recorded (192,503 in England in 2022 compared with 156,865 in 2019). Nevertheless, despite increasing from 2021, the variety of heterosexual adults having an HIV test continues to be below pre-COVID-19 levels (792,875 in England in 2022 compared with 1,051,391 in 2019).

PrEP provision continues to extend. In 2022, 86,324 people in England received PrEP, a rise in comparison with 2021 (61,510) with the best rise amongst heterosexual adults. Figures still show that there may be more work to be done to fulfill the PrEP needs of heterosexual and bisexual women, heterosexual men and ethnic minority groups.

Dr Alison Brown, Interim Head of HIV Surveillance at UKHSA said:

In 2022 we saw further improvements in HIV testing and PrEP access, but progress has been uneven. The continued lower rates of HIV testing and PrEP amongst women and ethnic minority groups is concerning.

An HIV test is free and provides access to PrEP if needed. For those who do test positive, treatment is so effective that you could expect to live an extended healthy life and you will not pass HIV on to partners.

If you may have HIV, you might be eligible for a flu and COVID-19 vaccination this autumn and winter to assist protect against serious consequences of those infections.”

In England, there have been 3,805 HIV diagnoses in 2022, a 22% rise from 3,118 in 2021. Of the three,805 diagnoses, 64% (2,444) were diagnoses first made in England while 36% (1,361) were diagnoses amongst people previously diagnosed abroad. The variety of HIV diagnoses first made in England rose by 6% from 2,313 in 2021 to 2,444 in 2022.

The rise in HIV diagnoses first made in England during 2022 is probably going as a consequence of lower HIV testing rates throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Lower testing rates are also prone to be a key reason for the rise within the variety of late diagnoses, from 812 in 2021 to 865 in 2022. There was a selected rise in late diagnoses amongst heterosexual women (191 in 2021 to 239 in 2022).

Despite this, there was a fall in diagnoses first made in England in GBMSM, (from 784 in 2021 to 724 in 2022), with the decrease steepest in white men. Nevertheless, diagnoses rose in heterosexual adults (from 870 in 2021 to 976 in 2022), with a rise in women living outside of London (from 300 in 2021 to 393 in 2022).

Professor Kevin Fenton, Chief Advisor on HIV to Government and Chair of the HIV Motion Plan Implementation Steering Group, said:

The most recent data shows the positive results of our ongoing efforts to finish recent HIV transmissions inside England by 2030. Through our HIV Prevention Programme (HPE) and the implausible work of our local authority and NHS colleagues, we’re making positive progress to spice up testing uptake and improve timely access to effective treatment.

Nevertheless, we’re not yet seeing progress across the board and there remain some concerning trends around low testing and PrEP uptake in certain groups, particularly in women and people from ethnic minority backgrounds.

As we proceed working to cut back HIV transmission, it is anticipated that we are going to see evidence of inequalities, especially in those populations with access and engagement issues in prevention and treatment services. The report’s findings reinforce the necessity for targeting and prioritising probably the most vulnerable communities while maintaining robust prevention, treatment and care programmes for all.

Our priorities for HIV control remain the identical and must now be accelerated to answer the emerging trends; scaling up HIV testing, expanding access to HIV PrEP, linking and maintaining patients in prime quality HIV care, and tackling HIV stigma. The most recent data will allow our partners to proceed working with affected communities, further goal resources and prioritise interventions where they’re most needed.”

Annually, this official statistics report is followed by a separate update in December on the progress being made towards the ambition – set out within the HIV Motion Plan – to cut back HIV transmission in England by 80% between 2019 and 2025.