How to get a free home HIV test, as Keir Starmer becomes first PM to get tested publicly

Kate Ng
·Trending Lifestyle Reporter
·5-min read
Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer sits with Beverley Knight (L) and Richard Angell, from the Terrence Higgins Trust, as he takes a HIV test to raise awareness for National HIV Testing Week, inside 10 Downing Street, in central London on February 7, 2025. National HIV Testing Week 2025 runs from February 10 to February 16. (Photo by Lucy NORTH / POOL / AFP) (Photo by LUCY NORTH/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
Prime Minister Keir Starmer is the first prime minister to be publicly tested for HIV, in support of National HIV Testing Week. (Getty Images)

This year’s National HIV Testing Week has begun with Prime Minister Keir Starmer becoming the first serving UK prime minister to take a public HIV test.

Starmer took the rapid home test at 10 Downing Street to raise awareness that anyone in England can get a free HIV test this week to be done in the comfort of their own home.

After he took the test, Starmer emphasised the importance of testing for HIV and said he was "pleased" to have taken part in the campaign.

"It’s easy, it is quick," he said. "If people test, they will know their status, it is better that people know, and that is a good thing because you can then get access to treatment, and that will also help meet our collective target to end new HIV transmissions by 2030."

Starmer’s decision to take a public HIV test comes after polling by YouGov, commissioned by the HIV charity Terrence Higgins Trust, found that more than 80% of adults in England are not aware they can test for HIV at home.

Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer talks with Richard Angell from the Terrence Higgins Trust, as he takes a HIV test to raise awareness for National HIV Testing Week, inside 10 Downing Street, in central London on February 7, 2025. National HIV Testing Week 2025 runs from February 10 to February 16. (Photo by Lucy NORTH / POOL / AFP) (Photo by LUCY NORTH/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the at-home HIV testing kit is 'quick' and 'easy'. (Getty Images)

Here’s how you can get a free home HIV test this week.

Anyone over the age of 16 in England can order a free and confidential HIV test from www.freetesting.hiv.

There are two types of home testing kits available on the website: the lab test kit and the rapid self-test kit.

The lab test requires you to provide a small blood sample, which you can collect yourself via a finger prick.

All you have to do is follow the instructions to collect and package up the blood sample, which are all included in the kit, before popping it in the post for free to send it back to the laboratory for testing.

You will receive a text message once your sample arrives at the lab. If there is not enough blood in the sample provided, or it gets lost or damaged in the post, you will be offered another kit to repeat the test.

After the lab has run its tests on your sample, you will receive either a negative or reactive result, which should be available within three working days of your sample arriving at the lab.

If you have a negative result, you will be notified by text. If you have a reactive result, you will receive a call to offer you support and to help you arrange further confirmatory testing at a clinic near you.

The rapid self-test allows you to test a single drop of blood from a finger prick for instant results at home.

You only need one drop of blood to read your own result immediately at home. You do not have to post the sample anywhere.

Once you have your results, you can report it online, which will enable you to get the right support. If you report a reactive result, you may need to arrange further testing at a clinic near you.

A reactive result is not the same as a positive result. It means that the test has reacted to something in your blood that could be the HIV virus or antibodies to the HIV virus, but this may not always be the case.

If you need to go for further testing, a larger blood sample will be taken so the clinic can run a full set of tests, which will give you a definitive result.

Technician preparing human medical samples for screening in the lab.
Testing for HIV allows patients who have the virus to get the life-saving treatment they need. (Getty Images)

Regular HIV testing is beneficial for everyone, says the Terrence Higgins Trust. It means that you can take the appropriate measures to protect yourself and others, and go on the right treatment if you do have it.

Modern treatments for HIV are very effective and enable most people with the virus to live long and healthy lives. They involve medications like post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) medicine and antiretroviral drugs to stop the virus from causing more damage.

Richard Angell OBE, chief executive of the Terrence Higgins Trust, said: "This free, quick and simple test sends a powerful message to the country and to the public. During National HIV Testing Week, anyone in England can order a test to their home, whether that’s to Downing Street, to Penzance, or to Berwick-upon-Tweed."

Also speaking after Starmer took his test, author and speaker Rebecca Mbewe, who is living with HIV, said: "Testing for HIV is the only way to know your status, and it helps you stay in control of your health. If you do have a positive result, you won’t be on your own.

"I have been living with HIV for close to 30 years, I am still able to do anything and everything that I like. I still have my glass of gin and tonic. I can still go out and dance. Thanks to free, effective medication, I have a full life, I can’t pass HIV on and I have a normal life expectancy. Every time I have a birthday I love telling people my age. It’s a statement. It’s a celebration."

Read more about HIV/Aids:

Latest stories