Londoners awareness about HIV-AIDS is at an "alarming low" according to a new study.

The findings of the research into HIV awareness were published ahead of World Aids Day on December 1.

They showed that nearly a quarter of people in London surveyed incorrectly believe there is a cure for the virus, while nearly 40 per cent of respondents thought it was "no longer a threat in 2019".

The study was run by INSTI, an HIV home testing kit, and contained a number of revealing statistics about Londoners apparent lack of awareness about the facts surrounding HIV.

For example, the data showed that over half of Londoners who responded in the survey have had unprotected sex, while nearly 60 per cent have never had a HIV test and over half haven’t had an STI test at all.

Over 40 per cent of respondents said they’ve risked their own sexual health because they don’t like condoms and over half haven’t asked a partner about their sexual health before having sex.

While HIV diagnoses have fallen recently, the latest data from Public Health England (PHE) revealed 43 per cent of all diagnoses were late.

PHE have warned that people diagnosed with HIV late face 10 times more risk of short-term mortality.

Louise Ball of INSTI said: “While it is indeed good news that new diagnoses are in decline once again, HIV still remains a very real threat in 2019 and there is no room for complacency when it comes to sexual health awareness.

"There is currently no cure for HIV and whilst it is potentially no longer the death sentence it once was, people are risking lives by not being aware.”

Summarised findings about London from the study included the following:

  • Over a third of people in London said HIV is too embarrassing to talk about
  • Less than half of Londoners have had an STI test
  • Nearly half of people in London (45 per cent) don’t know how many recognised STI’s there are
  • Over a quarter of people (26 per cent) think thrush is an STI
  • 18 per cent think cystitis is, whilst 6 per cent of people think plantar fasciitis, a foot condition, is an STI
  • Alarmingly, 29 per cent of people don’t think HIV is an STI
  • 31 per cent of people in London didn’t learnt about STIs at school
  • 53 per cent of us get advice on STIs online
  • Only 21 per cent speak to friends
  • Nearly one in five (18 per cent) think HIV and AIDS are the same thing
  • A quarter of Londoners (25 per cent) think HIV stands for ’Human Infection Virus’
  • Almost a quarter think gay women do not have any risk of HIV transmission
  • Over half think a baby will definitely contract HIV if the mother has it