Online Pharmacy give away 1,000s of condoms in the run up to World AIDS Day

Shocking figures released ahead of World AIDS Day on 1 December reveal that roughly a fifth of those who have HIV in the UK, are unaware they are even carrying the virus.

Public Health England accumulated data from 2012 that shows 21,900 people out of 98,400 with HIV in the UK do not know they have it, with new cases reported in gay mean spiralling to an all-time record of 3,250 during last year.

Gay men account for the majority of people who have HIV, followed by black African men and women. Heterosexuals accounted for approximately 45% of new HIV cases in 2012; 2,880 in total.

Although it appears overall figures have decreased since 2011, the charity Terrence Higgins Trust have called for more action to be done to prevent the virus spreading, beginning with National HIV Testing Week, which runs from 22-29 November leading up to World AIDS Day.

World AIDS Day is an annual event dedicated to raising awareness of the AIDS pandemic caused by the spread of HIV infection, and has been supported numerous times by Medical Specialists Pharmacy, and this year is no different.

This year Medical Specialists are giving away literally thousands of Skins condoms to all patients who obtain any sexual health products between 22 November and 2 December. Whether this be a clamelle chlamydia test kit, the antibiotic azithromycin for chlamydia and gonorrhoea treatment, or viagra, you will receive plenty of condoms…for free!

“Reducing undiagnosed HIV is now the single most important step we can take to halt the spread of infection in this country,” said the Terrence Higgins Trust’s acting chief executive, Paul Ward.

Mr Ward added: “Some communities are already making headway in this. Among gay men, testing rates are up, diagnoses are up, and as a result undiagnosed infection is coming down. Because of community-wide initiatives like National HIV Testing Week, hundreds more people with HIV now know their status, helping them access life-saving treatments and drastically reducing the chance of them passing the virus on. We’ve come so far, but we have to keep going. We know testing works and treatment works; all we need is the individual commitment and public funding to make it happen. If we can get this, we can turn the tide of the epidemic.”

Many people see ‘HIV’ as an abbreviated disease that they hope they never contract, whilst not actually understanding a lot about what it is, who is at risk, or the dangers of letting the virus go untreated.

HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) attacks the immune system; our body’s natural defence mechanism against infections and disease. Health Protection Agency statistics from 2010 showed 95% of UK diagnoses stemmed from sexual contact, typically not wearing a condom during sexual activity is the cause. Sharing infected needles, syringes or other drug paraphernalia are also risk factors for HIV.

After infection, symptoms usually take between two to six weeks to arise and they include the common flu symptoms such as fever, sore throat, tiredness, muscular pain and also you could develop a body rash. If you believe you might be at risk then you should go for a test immediately and do not delay.
Delaying vital critical treatment can be fatal and somebody diagnosed at a late stage is actually nine times more likely to die within twelve months of receiving their diagnosis compared to somebody who gets tested and diagnosed at an early stage.

If HIV is left untreated or insufficiently managed, HIV then develops into AIDS (acquired immune deficiency syndrome). At this stage the body is no longer able to fight off life-threatening infections due to the severe damage inflicted to the immune system.

National HIV testing week is a hugely important week and Medical Specialists hope that people shed the stigmas attached to HIV and AIDS, and to get tested immediately if they think they might be at risk. There is never any shame in seeking help for anything, especially when it comes to your health, and it could just save your life.

National HIV testing week begins today

England’s first ever National HIV testing week gets underway today all around the country, in what is a massive nationwide campaign primarily aiming to encourage people to get tested who may be at risk of HIV; People from African communities and gay or bisexual men. However, the number of people who don’t belong to either of these groups is increasing every year and it is clear that awareness needs to be raised about the potentially deadly condition.

In fact, at the end of 2010 it was estimated that there are 91,500 people with HIV in the UK and approximately a quarter (22,000) are actually unaware they have the virus. That total comprises of around 40,100 gay men and 47,000 heterosexual men and women.

HIV stands for human immunodeficiency virus and it is a serious health condition that attacks our bodies natural defence mechanism against infections and disease – the immune system. The Health Protection Agency released statistics back in 2010 that showed 95% of those diagnosed with HIV in the UK had picked up the virus from sexual contact. Most commonly it is the failure to use a condom during sex which is the problem although sharing infected needles, syringes or other drug paraphernalia can also increase the risk of contracting HIV.

After infection, symptoms usually take between two to six weeks to arise and they include the common flu symptoms such as fever, sore throat, tiredness, muscular pain and also you could develop a body rash. If you believe you might be at risk then you should go for a test immediately and do not delay. Putting-off necessary critical treatment can prove fatal and it is thought that a person who is diagnosed at a late stage is actually nine times more likely to die within twelve months of receiving their diagnosis compared to someone who gets tested in good time. If left untreated or properly managed, HIV then develops into AIDS (acquired immune deficiency syndrome). This is where the body is unable to fight off life-threatening infections due to the severe damage to the immune system.
Therefore, National HIV testing week is vital to shed the stigmas attached to HIV/AIDS and encourage people to get tested if they think they might be at risk. There is no shame in coming forward to seek help and it could save your life.

The week is being pioneered by The Terrence Higgins Trust, a leading HIV/AIDS charity, in addition to HIV Prevention England (HPE). The HPE is a Department of Health- funded partnership of community organisations that aim to tackle HIV in England by targeting those most at risk of contracting the disease. Through the next seven days there will be numerous testing and awareness-raising events happening across the country.

Genevieve Edwards, director of health improvement at Terrence Higgins Trust, stressed the importance of the need for such initiatives to fight HIV. She said in a statement: “There is a growing consensus that reducing undiagnosed HIV would firmly put the brakes on the spread of infection in this country. We’ve already seen other parts of the world make progress in reducing rates of undiagnosed and late diagnosed HIV, and that’s without healthcare systems as comprehensive as our own. It is now fully within our grasp to halt the spread of HIV, but we need more regular testing among high-risk groups to bring down rates of undiagnosed infection. National HIV Testing Week provides a great opportunity to encourage this, and we would welcome any organisation that wants to get involved.”

Even the London Mayor Boris Johnson took time out of his hectic schedule to give his backing to the campaign and urged people to come forward to seek help. Speaking earlier this week he said: “London is home to almost half of all people living with HIV in the UK, but a quarter of them are unaware they carry the virus. It is vital that people who might be at risk get tested, not only to reduce the risk of transmission to others, but to ensure they get the life-saving treatments that are available.”
The campaign will be focused on getting local authorities in England to promote HIV prevention schemes as a high priority. Also, work will be done to urge GPs and practice staff to keep their knowledge of HIV up-to-date so they are able to diagnose the condition more easily and recommend appropriate treatment.

HIV testing programmes will run up until Friday 30th November – the day before World Aids Day. Regular visitors to the Medical Specialists Pharmacy website will already have seen our ‘In The Press’ news section and be aware that for the last few years we have given away free condoms for a full week to any men buying erectile dysfunction products in support of World Aids Day. We are strong advocates for promoting better sexual health and already provide a wide range of medications to treat sexually transmitted infections such as herpes and chlamydia.

As mentioned earlier, the failure to wear a condom is the biggest cause of HIV being transmitted from person-to-person. Currently Medical Specialists have teamed up with the discount deal provider website ‘Mighty Deals’ to further help our patients in the current financial climate. We are currently offering a fantastic deal on Durex Performa condoms, slashing an incredible 70% off 72 individually wrapped Durex Performa condoms worth £60. For a limited time only we are able to offer this deal at an unbelievable ‘Mighty Price’ of just £18! So don’t delay and head to the deal page where you can find out exactly how to claim this incredible bargain!