Recent figures released by the Health Protection Agency have revealed that more people are now living with HIV in Britain than ever before, and about a quarter of them do not even know they have contracted the deadly virus. As per the agency, an estimated 8% rise was recorded in cases of HIV between 2007 and 2008.

Experts have been quick to assert that around 22,000 of the 83,000 infected people are unaware that they are infected. The Terrence Higgins Trust has shared that the levels of undiagnosed HIV cases is "completely unacceptable".

In the annual HIV report released by HPA, the agency has stressed that as people live longer on effective therapy, the number of people living with the infection is bound to continue to rise. One good thing shared, however, was that more people are now aware, proved by increased testing at sexual health clinics which recorded a rise of 10,000 as compared to last year.

"HIV is a serious infection but if diagnosed early, there are very good treatment options. Of concern is that over 22,000 people remain unaware of their infection in the UK and cannot therefore benefit from effective treatment", shared Dr. Valerie Delpech, an HIV expert from the Health Protection Agency.

In light of the findings, medical authorities are now looking to push HIV awareness drives even more aggressively, while urging people to be regular in their check-up routines.