People in Hertfordshire are being encouraging to order a free HIV testing kit as lockdown restrictions ease.

This initiative has been launched after a nationwide survey by the Terrence Higgens Trust and sexual health clinic 56 Dean Street found that 84 percent of people are not having outside their immediate household due to the coronavirus pandemic.

According to the trust this means that for anyone who has not has sex since the start of lockdown, if they test for HIV now they will get an accurate test result.

This is because it can take up to a month from potential HIV exposure for tests to detect the virus.

The trust also said that in 2018 42 percent of people diagnosed with HIV in Hertfordshire were diagnosed at a late stage.

You can order a free test kit online, it will arrive by post and you will get a result sent by text or call.

Hertfordshire service manager at the trust Peter Bampton said: "This is an incredible opportunity to break the chain on HIV infection in Hertfordshire and help move us further toward in acheiving our goal of ending HIV transmissions.

"Across the county, we're determined to make HIV testing as easy as possible and I'd encourage anyone to order a free test today, because this chance to beat HIV won't wait and won't come around again."