More than a quarter of people with HIV are undiagnosed although the overall number of new cases is falling, newly released figures suggest.
An estimated 86,500 people were living with HIV in 2009, but more than a quarter of those - estimated to be almost 22,500 people - are unaware they have the infection.
The data, published by the Health Protection Agency (HPA), revealed there were 6,630 new cases of HIV in 2009 among 4,400 men and 2,230 women.
This is the fourth year-on-year decline in new cases although the proportion of undiagnosed cases has not changed in the last decade.
Across the UK, 1.4 people per 1,000 of the population have HIV, whether diagnosed or undiagnosed.
And 52% - 3,450 - of people newly diagnosed in 2009 were diagnosed late - after a time when treatment could have started.
Paul Ward has been living with HIV for 10 years.
He told Sky News: "I was diagnosed late. At the time I was also diagnosed with non hodgkin's lymphoma, which is a serious form of cancer.
"I had to go through three months in hospital and a further six months chemo to get over all of that. If I'd been diagnosed early I would have saved myself some of that.
"Every day there is a person in the UK who dies with HIV, having being diagnosed late.
"Now there is no reason for that to happen when it’s easy to take a test and the treatment is readily available."
Experts believe some people may be reluctant to take an HIV test because they do not believe they could be at risk or they could be in denial due to the stigma still surrounding HIV and AIDS.
A spokesperson for the Terrence Higgins Trust said it was important to be diagnosed as early as possible, because the sooner treatment begins, the better the long- term prognosis.
The overall number of new cases is falling but the HPA wants more widespread testing for HIV, especially in areas where the number of new cases is above two people per 1,000 population.
Of 37 health trust regions across England with levels above this, 26 are in London.
Across the capital, 5.24 per 1,000 people had a diagnosed HIV infection in 2009.
Brighton and Hove has a rate of 7.57 per 1,000 people and Manchester has a rate of 5.22 per 1,000 people.
Dr Valerie Delpech, consultant epidemiologist and head of HIV surveillance at the HPA, said: "We're very concerned that a large number of people in the UK are unaware of their HIV status and that half of all newly diagnosed people are diagnosed late, meaning they may not benefit from very effective treatments.
"The HPA would like to see increased access to HIV testing in areas where rates of HIV infection are high."
Pilot studies have already found increased testing can make an impact. Not only on those who require treatment, but also on the reduction of the spread of the virus.
SKYNEWS
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