TV drama It's a Sin offers hope over HIV testing rate in Sheffield

Sexual health charity the Terrence Higgins Trust says Channel 4 drama It's A Sin – which covers the 1980s AIDS crisis – has helped boost HIV testing, but there is still more work to be done.

Public Health England data shows that out of 70 people aged 15 and over who tested positive for HIV in Sheffield 26 were diagnosed late between 2017 and 2019.

Across England, 3,870 of 8,979 tests were recorded as a late diagnosis over the same period – 43 per cent.

PHE figures also show that in 2019, 18 per cent of 10,100 people in Sheffield who used specialist sexual health services missed the opportunity to get tested at a clinic through either not being offered an appointment or by declining.

The Terrence Higgins Trust says HIV testing should be made standard, with checks carried out when a person registers for a GP or attends A&E.

It added that new drama It's a Sin, which has already received 6.5 million views, had already helped with a record number of tests ordered as part of National HIV Testing Week last week.

The five-part television series, which is available on catch up, tells the story of a group of young, gay men in London at the height of the AIDS pandemic.

Without treatment, HIV can lead to AIDS (acquired immune deficiency syndrome) which is a collection of symptoms resulting from a weakened immune system which leaves a person susceptible to life-threatening illnesses.

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