Earlier today in Woolwich, the Mayor of Greenwich stood in General Gordon Square and did something very simple, and very visible. She took an HIV test on camera.
As part of National HIV Testing Week, Mayor Linda
Bird publicly took a rapid HIV test alongside
METRO Charity, who were running a pop-up
HIV testing bus outside Woolwich Arsenal station.
It wasn’t dramatic. It wasn’t performative.
It was straightforward. And that’s exactly the point.
HIV testing still carries stigma for many people. Seeing a civic leader sit down and demonstrate how quick and routine the process is helps shift that narrative. Testing shouldn’t feel secretive or shameful. It’s a normal part of looking after your health.
Testing in Minutes
The METRO Charity bus was stationed in General Gordon Square throughout the day, offering free, confidential rapid tests with results delivered in minutes. No appointment. No fuss.
The bus will return to the same location on Wednesday, 25th February, and National HIV Testing Week continues until 15 February, with additional testing available across London and Hertfordshire, including venues in Soho, Camden, Greenwich, and Dalston. Free self-testing kits are also available online for those who prefer to test at home.
The message remains simple. Know your status.
Why Visibility Still Matters
The UK Government’s updated HIV Action Plan sets a bold target: ending new HIV transmissions in England by 2030.
That goal is realistic. But only if people test.
Currently, around 4,700 people in England are estimated to be living with undiagnosed HIV. Thousands more may have transmissible levels of the virus without knowing it. Treatment today is highly effective, often just one pill a day, allowing people to live long, healthy lives.
And crucially, when someone is on effective treatment, and their viral load is undetectable, they cannot pass HIV on. U=U, undetectable equals untransmittable. That’s an evidence-based fact.
The obstacle is not treatment. It’s a diagnosis.
A Normal Health Check
Mayor Linda Bird was joined by fellow councillors throughout the day in a show of support, reinforcing that HIV testing isn’t niche or targeted, it’s relevant to everyone.
HIV does not discriminate. It affects people of all backgrounds, ages, and identities. Making testing visible helps reduce fear and misinformation, particularly at a time when public health conversations are often politicised or misunderstood.
METRO Charity, which has been delivering inclusive health and wellbeing services for more than 40 years, continues to bring prevention and testing services directly into communities across London and the south-east.
Today’s public test wasn’t about spectacle. It was about normalisation.
National HIV Testing Week serves as a reminder that knowing your status puts you in control. The science is clear, the treatment is effective, and the testing is quick.
The only step left is taking it.
For more information on the services METRO Charity offers, visit their website here.
