It’s nearly the end of 2015 and we thought we’d spend the next 12 days sharing some stories and successes from the last year from across the Trust, as well as some useful tips to stay healthy in 2016.

Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

On the first day…

One in four people with HIV are unaware they carry the virus. To make sure you don’t give anyone an unwanted Christmas gift this year, visit www.HIVTESTUK.com to order a simple HIV testing kit that you carry out yourself at home. Alternatively, you can visit any open-access sexually transmitted infection (STI) clinic or your GP – nowadays there is no need for a lengthy discussion about the test, it just involves having blood taken, or even a finger prick test.

Dr Stephen Taylor, lead consultant at Birmingham Heartlands HIV Service and medical director of the Saving Lives Charity said:“Overall, the number of people living with HIV in the UK continues to increase and the number of people living with undiagnosed HIV remains unacceptably high. We absolutely must test and treat people who are unknowingly infected with HIV if our prevention efforts are to have a significant impact on onward transmission. Treatment works and really does prevent transmission, but only if you know you have the infection. You are so much more likely to catch HIV from somebody who doesn’t know they have it, than anybody on effective treatment.”