A quarter of people living with HIV do not know that they have the virus.

Of the estimated 86,000 people in the UK living with Human Immunodeficiency Virus, one in four is unaware of the diagnosis.

Knowing if you are HIV positive or negative enables people to make confident choices about their health and get specialist treatment and support should they need it. An early diagnosis also allows people to protect their sexual partners.

As a metropolitan area, Bradford has one of the highest prevalence of diagnosed HIV in adults per 100,000 people in the Yorkshire and Humber region. The large majority of cases in Bradford are among the 20-50 age group.

Increased awareness and promotion of testing services also plays its part in this. Run by Yorkshire MESMAC – one of the oldest and largest sexual health organisations in the country – an annual day-long event focusing on fast, free, confidential testing which began last year in Yorkshire has grown to a week-long Europe-wide campaign.

In conjunction with partners including Bradford Council’s Sexual Health team and Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, more than 50 HIV testing sessions will be held across the region during HIV Week, culminating in World Aids Day on Sunday.

Locations include the Red Ribbon Shop in the former Stead & Simpson premises in Broadway, Bradford. A simple finger-prick test is all that is needed, and results are available 20 minutes later.

“You are taking a test for information that could potentially change your lifestyle,” says Belinda Loftus, clinical services manager for sexual health services for Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. “People may need to attend hospital appointments, they may have to take tablets and may have to moderate their behaviour.”

Despite scientific advances and laws to protect people against discrimination there is still stigma surrounding HIV. Lack of knowledge and assumptions about how it is transmitted fuel negative connotations which can discourage people from being tested.

HIV can be contracted in a number of ways: unprotected sex, intravenous drug use and, although rarely, from mother to baby.

With offices in Bradford, Leeds, Wakefield and York, Yorkshire MESMAC is heavily involved in outreach work to educate people about the condition and spread vital messages about safe sex and other issues. They focus on locations including schools, gay scene venues, pubs and bars.

“We test people of all ages, sexes and cultural backgrounds,” says the organisation’s social support co-ordinator Brad Smith. “Misconcep-tions about HIV are common. “When we talk to students at freshers’ events, younger men will say, ‘That does not apply to me,’ or, ‘I’m not gay’ or, ‘I’m not African’.” Globally, the African region has the highest levels of HIV.

In schools, questions such as the difference between HIV and AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency or Immunodefic-iency Syndrome) are answered. AIDS is a disease caused by a virus (HIV). The illness alters the immune system, making people far more vulnerable to infections and diseases.

Typically, people live with HIV for between three and eight years before being diagnosed. “That is when we feel the onward transmission is occurring, so there is a public health issue surrounding testing,” says Brad.

The issues surrounding and treatment of HIV have changed much since the 1990s, but education has not kept up. There has been no national HIV campaign since 1987. “Medicine is now brilliant,” adds Brad, “A lot of people think it is a death sentence, but it is a managed condition.”

Government strategy is to improve HIV outcomes, but, says Brad, if this is to happen, more work needs to be done. “HIV has been ignored as people don’t become ill as much, they remain at work and continue life as normal, and also treatment is expensive.”

Across the UK there has been an increase in the number of people aged over 35 getting HIV. “Often, people don’t stay in relationships, explains Brad. “Sex is more available, with people meeting through the internet, and they are less aware – they are not exposed to health promotion messages, and pregnancy is no longer an issue so they don’t use protection.”

These people are targeted through prominent advertisements and the media.

One MESMAC event in Bradford brought members of the African community together for a football tournament, while using the occasion to speak to them about HIV.

Anyone with positive results picked up by the testing service is swiftly referred to a specialist team. “We work in conjunction with MESMAC in supporting them,” says Belinda. Psychological and emotional support is also offered.

Says Belinda: “We encourage people to test. The earlier the infection is found the better. People do not then become unwell and need hospitalisation.”

Contact sexual health services on (01274) 200024 Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm, or visit bash.nhs.uk; mesmac.co.uk.