Making Every Contact Count: Q&A with Lisa Hamzah & Eleanor Hamlyn on National HIV Testing Week
06 February 2026
(Last updated: 9 Feb 2026 11:42)
How does National HIV Testing Week help clinicians make every contact count, and how can the “I Test” theme support more open and routine conversations about testing with patients?
Regular HIV testing reduces the number of undiagnosed people living with HIV, reduces the number of people diagnosed late and prompts access to HIV prevention for those who need it. HIV Testing Week helps us to normalise testing and reminds us to offer testing to everyone we see and treat, so we can meet our goal of ending HIV transmission by 2030. The 'I Test' theme helps people see that there is no reason to be worried about being offered a test because HIV testing is for everyone - including them!
Where do you see the biggest gaps in HIV test uptake during routine appointments, and what communication approaches have you found most effective in closing these gaps?
People may not consider themselves at risk for HIV and may test less frequently, or those who have tested before may feel they don't need to do so again. Offering an opt out HIV test as part of routine screening, whether it be at a sexual health clinic, in the Emergency Department, antenatal clinics or in primary care removes these barriers, reduces stigma and normalises testing. HIV testing does not require specific pre-test counselling, and we test consent for HIV testing like any other test, for example a full blood count or diabetes screening. HIV is treatable and those living with HIV and diagnosed in good time have a normal life expectancy.
How can increased understanding of U=U positively influence patients’ attitudes toward HIV testing and support higher uptake in everyday clinical settings?
U=U, or undetectable equals untransmittable, is one of the most powerful messages we have in HIV and has gone a long way to tackle stigma and encourage testing. For many, the misconception remains that people living with HIV cannot have a partner, have children or breastfeed; this can also lead to a lot of self-stigma amongst those diagnosed with HIV. Learning about the incredible treatment we have, U=U and other HIV prevention options that exist can be monumental. Those of us who work in HIV can easily forget that not everyone is aware of U=U so it's important that we keep spreading the good news!
How can conversations about HIV testing naturally link to wider prevention options, including PrEP, in ways that support equity and meet patients where they are?
As we normalise HIV testing as a routine, opt out test, it is also important to normalise conversations about HIV. A negative result should remind people to ask, 'have you heard of PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis)?' There remains huge PrEP need in many communities, especially women and men in minority ethnic groups, and it’s important we spread the word about HIV prevention choices. As much as testing is for anyone - PrEP can be for anyone too.
If a clinician wanted to increase test acceptance today, what is a small, realistic “hack” you've used or seen used to normalise HIV testing for every patient?
It can be difficult to bring up HIV testing out of context, for example outside a sexual health setting, however it helps to remind people that HIV testing is part of our routine health check, and even if they’ve been tested before, it's always worth testing again for peace of mind.
Lisa Hamzah and Eleanor Hamlyn are co-chairs of the HIV and Blood Borne Virus Special Interest Group at BASHH.