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00:00I'm health reporter Sarah McCann.
00:02Latest data from the UK Health and Security Agency has found that there has been a steep rise in the number of HIV infections amongst heterosexual patients.
00:11In 2023, the number of heterosexual patients that were diagnosed with HIV increased by 30% compared to 2022.
00:20Diagnoses for heterosexual men increased by 36%, whilst diagnoses for heterosexual women increased by 30%.
00:27For ethnic minorities, there was the steepest rise, which increased by 45%.
00:32HIV, which stands for the Human Immunodeficiency Virus, damages the cells in your immune system, making it harder for you to fight everyday infections.
00:41HIV can be transmitted from one person to another, with the most common cause of HIV infections in the UK being from sexual contact.
00:51Symptoms of HIV can include a flu-like illness, which can develop two weeks after being exposed to the infection.
00:58After this, many people will not experience symptoms for years, which is why many people aren't aware that they have HIV until they are tested.