Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 2009. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
United Press International - June 7, 2009
The Sunday Times of London reported senior doctors have accused the British department of not properly testing specific high-risk groups such as black Africans and gay men.
The lack of testing for the human immunodeficiency virus has resulted in individuals unknowingly carrying the virus that can lead to AIDS and spreading it via sexual activities, HIV specialists said.
"All men and women accessing medical care should be routinely offered a test," said Dr. Phillip Hay, an HIV specialist at St. George's hospital in London, regarding a possible response to the healthcare issue.
Meanwhile, the unidentified author of an editorial in the Lancet medical journal has accused the government of having "no credible strategy to diagnose and care for those living with, but unaware of, HIV in Britain."
The Sunday Times said the lack of HIV awareness among some British residents has also become a point of concern for the Health Protection Agency.
But the Department of Health insists preventing the spread of HIV remains among its priorities, the newspaper reported.
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