One in four Britons with HIV is unaware of having the disease, report says

According to the United Kingdom Health Protection Agency (HPA), 25 percent of HIV-positive adults do not know that they have been infected, BBC News reports.

The agency made the estimate using anonymous fluid samples from thousands of donors. Though the HIV infection rate in the UK has reportedly dropped over the past four years, more than 6,600 adults were still diagnosed with the virus in 2009.

The news organization added that more than half of those found to be HIV-positive were diagnosed at a stage when they should have already been receiving treatment.

Men who have sex with men and African-British are particularly at risk for developing AIDS symptoms, the agency said, often due to late diagnoses or sometimes none at all.

The answer to the continued problem of the infection rate, the HPA concludes, is to allow people better access to STD screenings and to recommend that all adults get tested regularly and often.

To date, HIV has no cure. Those who believe they have contracted the virus may consider looking into online testing services. The HPA estimates that more than 86,000 people in the UK are infected with HIV.