National HIV Testing Week 2026 encourages people to take a free, quick and confidential HIV test to support early diagnosis, reduce undiagnosed HIV and move towards ending new transmissions by 2030. Read our latest blog.
National HIV Testing Week, running from 9-15 February 2026, encourages people across England to take a simple, free and confidential HIV test. Led by HIV Prevention England, this year’s campaign uses the message “I Test” to highlight the importance of knowing your status and offers easy access to self tests and postal kits that can be ordered online. These options support national efforts to reduce undiagnosed HIV and help move towards the ambition of ending new HIV transmissions in England by 2030.
Testing remains vital because people can live with HIV for years without symptoms. A negative result supports informed prevention choices, while a positive result ensures quick access to effective treatment that enables long, healthy lives and prevents onward transmission. The week is an important opportunity to raise awareness of these benefits and encourage more people to look after their health.
National statistics show just how far the UK has come. Today, 95 per cent of people living with HIV know their status, 99 per cent of those diagnosed are receiving treatment, and 98 per cent of those on treatment are virally suppressed, meaning they cannot pass the virus on. This is a significant public health achievement and reflects years of sustained work across campaigners, people living with HIV, health and community services.
An estimated 107,949 people are living with HIV in the UK
Yet challenges remain. An estimated 107,949 people are living with HIV in the UK, equivalent to the population of Bedford, and around half are now aged over 50. Late diagnosis is still far too common. Around half of all recent diagnoses were made late, meaning people started treatment later than ideal, increasing the risk of illness and avoidable health complications. According to the UK Health Security Agency, around 4,700 people remain undiagnosed, highlighting the need to keep testing easy and accessible.
Progress has also been uneven. While overall HIV diagnoses have declined, certain groups continue to experience higher risk. Evidence shows that ethnic minority gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men, Black African heterosexual men and women, and ethnic minority heterosexual adults are disproportionately affected. These inequalities underscore the importance of culturally competent services, targeted prevention and ongoing efforts to challenge stigma and discrimination.
Councils play an essential role in responding to these challenges. They commission sexual health services, support community outreach and work closely with NHS partners to ensure testing is visible, accessible and tailored to local need. Councils help promote testing through local communication channels, ensure residents know how to order free self-tests and support clinics to reach communities who may face greater barriers to accessing care.
A new HIV Action Plan sets out how partners across the country aim to eliminate HIV transmission by 2030, focusing on expanding HIV testing, improving early diagnosis, increasing access to prevention tools like PrEP, reducing stigma and ensuring people living with HIV can live long, healthy lives.
A recent £5 million NHS England Pilot coordinated by Salford Council and East Sussex Council will now allow people to order HIV test kits through the NHS App. This is a welcome addition to the long standing online testing options funded by local authorities, which already provide free STI testing, including HIV, to residents based on risk based triage, as well as stand alone HIV/syphilis postal kits in many areas. The NHS App trial complements these established services rather than replacing them, and may help extend reach for people in rural areas or those who find attending clinics difficult.
National HIV Testing Week brings together national messaging and local action, making testing simple, routine and accessible for everyone. By promoting testing and supporting residents to know their status, local government helps ensure that progress continues and that the goal of ending new HIV transmissions becomes a reality.
For more information check out National HIV Testing Week – HIV Prevention England