Emergency departments opt-out testing for Blood-Borne Viruses (BBVs)

Many people who have an undiagnosed blood-borne virus infections do not realise they have been at risk. They can feel well for many years before developing symptoms, and may never have had the opportunity to get tested.  

These infections, once known about, can be effectively controlled or cured.  Starting treatment also helps to prevent passing of the viruses to other people.

The UK Government has set a goal of ending new infections with HIV or Hepatitis C in England by 2030. 

This has been very successful both locally and nationally, identifying thousands of people around the country with infections which may not have been diagnosed otherwise, giving them the chance to access effective treatment and care. 

Please tell the person taking your bloods before your blood sample has been taken if you do not want to be tested.  

If you decide not to get tested for any reason, this will not affect the care you receive from us in anyway.

NNot everybody who attends the emergency department will be tested.

If you are not tested but would like to request one for yourself or a family member, please contact your GP or the sexual health clinic and ask for a blood borne virus test.

Alternatively, you can order a home test kit.

• Terrence Higgins Trust – Order Your HIV Self-Test Kit Today
• Order a self-test kit for Hepatitis C

The commonest way of contracting:

• HIV in the UK is through unprotected sex, including between men and women. 
• Hepatitis C is through injecting drugs, although it can also be contracted through unprotected sex, particularly sex between men.

Tests for these viruses can be negative if done too early in an infection.  If you think that you may have been at risk within the two months before attending the Emergency Department, please contact your GP or local sexual health clinic for advice about when to get test again.

If you think you may be at risk of HIV you can also access free treatment to reduce the risk. This treatment is called pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and is available through your local sexual health service. You can also be vaccinated for Hepatitis B, if you are at high risk through your GP or sexual health services.

If any of your tests are positive, the appropriate specialist team will contact you to explain the result and to arrange the next steps.  When you book in to the ED, please make sure your contact details are up to date so we can get in touch if we need to.

If your HIV test is positive, it will need to be confirmed with a more detailed second test. This is because rarely sometimes a HIV test can be a false positive result.

If your Hepatitis C result is positive it means that you have antibodies to this virus.  Many people carry antibodies to this virus even if they don’t have a current infection, so a positive test in the ED needs further assessment by a specialist.

HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) is a virus which is passed on through sex and blood. It damages the cells in your immune system and weakens your ability to fight everyday infections and some other medical conditions.
 
Although there is currently no cure for HIV, there are very effective treatments, usually a single tablet taken daily. This means most people with the virus can live long and healthy lives. People who are diagnosed early generally respond to treatment better than those who are diagnosed late.  As well as controlling the virus and keeping people healthy, HIV treatment also stops the virus being passed on to sexual partners or to children during pregnancy.

Hepatitis C is a virus which is spread through blood.  It infects the liver and if left undiagnosed and untreated, can sometimes cause serious and potentially life-threatening damage to the liver over many years.

Hepatitis C can be cured. Treatment is with tablets that are taken daily for 8 or 12 weeks.  The tablets have very few side-effects and more than 95 out of every 100 people with Hepatitis C will be cured with their first course of treatment.

The treatments for HIV and Hepatitis C are all freely available through the NHS.

No. Having a negative HIV test has no effect on getting life insurance or a mortgage. Even if the test is positive you should not have difficulty getting personal medical insurance, loans or mortgages.  Insurance companies have understood for many years that HIV is a long-term health condition and that people do very well on treatment, with almost normal life expectancy.

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