MEASURES to tackle Cumbria's high rate of late HIV diagnosis have been revealed today on World Aids Day.

66.7 per cent of all HIV diagnoses in the county are late, classified as when the immune system has been significantly compromised and when the CD4 cell count falls below 350 in a cubic millimetre of blood.

READ MORE: Barrow mum infected with HIV by former partner speaks out

Efforts have been focused for many years on stopping people from leaving it too late before they seek a test and making it easier for people to visit facilities.

A pilot project will be trialled across Cumbria in a bid to improve testing and find out if people are more willing to visit community pharmacists on the high street rather than sexual health clinics or their GPs.

Barrow is one of the key areas to be targeted in the project.

Cathryn Beckett-Hill, public health manager at Cumbria County Council, said: "A late diagnosis means the immune system may already be significantly compromised.

"Someone who is diagnosed late is 10 times more likely to die within a year of diagnosis, and could have significantly reduced life expectancy."

Under the project, 15 to 20 pharmacists will be trained in sexual health discussions and how to deliver HIV or syphilis point of care testing.

The pilot project is funded to complete 1,000 care episodes and the results will be evaluated to determine if the scheme, which is being hosted by Outreach Cumbria and supported by Cumbria County Council, will be extended and where.

READ MORE: HIV test kits may cut late diagnosis rate in Cumbria

HIV is much less prevalent in Cumbria than in other parts of the UK but the rate of late diagnosis is much higher.

Figures from 2014 show there were 17 cases of HIV and Aids in Barrow in 2014, 43 in South Lakeland and 15 in Copeland.

What is HIV?

- The human immunodeficiency virus is a virus that attacks the immune system, and weakens a person's ability to fight infections and disease. It's most commonly caught by having sex without a condom.

- Aids is the final stage of HIV infection, when the body can no longer fight life-threatening infections. With early diagnosis and effective treatment, most people with HIV will not go on to develop Aids.

What are the symptoms?

Most people who are infected with HIV experience a short, flu-like illness that occurs two to six weeks after infection. After this, HIV often causes no symptoms for several years.


The flu-like illness that often occurs a few weeks includes:

- Sore throat

- Body rash

- Fever

- Tiredness

- Joint pain

- Muscle pain

- Swollen glands (nodes)

Misconceptions about HIV

- HIV is NOT transmitted by day-to-day contact in places like offices or workplaces.

- HIV is NOT spread by mosquitoes.

- HIV is NOT a death sentence - improvements in medicine and treatment means people living with HIV can expect a near normal lifespan if they are diagnosed promptly.

- HIV does NOT always lead to Aids.

- HIV CANNOT be passed on by sharing toothbrushes, even if the person sharing has HIV. But for general hygiene purposes this is never recommended as personal items like this carry general bacteria.