Contributor

Brighton and Sussex Medical School – vibrant research programmes

Posted on 28/10/202327/10/2023 by Contributor

The Sexual Health and HIV Research Group within Brighton and Sussex Medical School (BSMS) supports a vibrant research programme focused on four interlinked research themes: HIV and sexually transmitted infections prevention and treatment; ageing and comorbidities; development of new models of care, and implementation of injectable antiretrovirals to treat HIV. We also have partnerships in South Africa, Uganda, Colombia, Ethiopia and Zambia where some projects mirror those in the UK, while others focus on important regional challenges such as the impact of climate change on HIV drug resistance and HIV management.

Locally we continue working in partnership with clinicians from the NHS trust, and community organisations supporting sexual health care across the city to co-design research studies that address important problems currently faced by our patients and local health services. We have several projects focusing on the development and evaluation of innovative models of care and interventions for people with HIV with comorbidities such as cognitive impairment and frailty, including the Orange Clinic.

Another project that continues making a significant impact to the city is the implementation of vending machines distributing HIV and STI tests across several locations in Brighton including Jubilee Library and both university campuses. The machines provide STI testing kits for people without symptoms who want to check their sexual health or HIV status. The machines contain self-sampling swabs and blood sampling equipment which will be tested for chlamydia, gonorrhoea, syphilis and HIV when returned through the post to the Sexual Health Clinic.

The BSMS Sexual Health and HIV Group continues designing and delivering research co design with communities with direct impact to patients and policy makers. If you are interest in knowing more about current research projects or would like to participate you can contact us here.

Words by Prof. Jaime Vera

The Sussex Beacon – A Year In Review

Posted on 27/10/202326/10/2023 by Contributor

It has been a busy year for the Sussex Beacon, the Brighton-based charity supporting and caring for people living with HIV. The Beacon’s Inpatient Unit remains very much in demand, adapting to meet the changing needs of service users over the years. Meanwhile, its Community Services Team has been extremely busy, pioneering new ways of addressing the likes of self-stigma, whilst strengthening its offering to ensure more people than ever living with HIV across Sussex have access to key services.

In March, the Community Services Team held a ground-breaking drag workshop, Drag Queen For A Day (DQ4ADAY), which focused on addressing and eradicating self-stigma and low self-confidence, by removing the participants’ protective HIV mask, replacing it with a mask that lets them see and interact with the world in a completely different way. The Beacon recruited a selection of drag artists, most of whom live locally, to mentor the workshop participants, people living with HIV experiencing self-stigma and low confidence levels. It was determined that the measure of the workshop’s success would be increased self-confidence and an attitude of ‘well if I did this, then I can surely do that’. The post-DQ4ADAY feedback was unequivocal in its praise.

Alan Spink (Community Services Team Supervisor) was invited to deliver a presentation on DQ4ADAY at the 25^thAnnual NHIVNA Conference in Birmingham, in June. Members of the team also participated in a three-day exhibition.

Some members of The Sussex Beacon Inpatient Unit team

Other highlights of the year include:

The creation of caseworker hubs in Crawley and Hastings.
The Sussex Beacon proudly supported the Terrence Higgins Trust-led Fighting HIV Stigma And Proud March, Vigil and Rally in London in March. Beacon management, community services and fundraising teams attended the event.
Having also supported July’s Zero HIV Stigma Day at Jubilee Square, the Sussex Beacon Women and Families Group was excited to present an on-site event, where women living with HIV met the authors of Our Stories Told By Us: Celebrating the African Contribution to the UK HIV Response. One of the authors, Angelina Namiba, spoke at the Zero HIV Stigma Day vigil. Glowing feedback was received from all event participants.
Staff and volunteers from the Sussex Beacon battled the elements to march in the Brighton & Hove Pride Parade, attracting great attention thanks to their colourful placards bearing slogans including ‘HIV Stigma Is A Drag’, ‘HIV Stigma Is A B*tch’ and ‘HIV Stigma Sucks’.

With the Sussex Beacon’s services increasingly in demand, the Community Services Team highlights two case studies, where their work has proved invaluable in 2023:

‘Alex’

One of the Beacon’s case workers has spoken of ‘Alex’, a man in his 50s, living with HIV and multiple physical and mental health issues. Over a period of time, the case worker has developed a rapport and a degree of trust with ‘Alex’, working alongside ‘Alex’’s GP, the Housing Association, Brighton & Hove Council and the local MP regarding a range of serious issues.

Having experienced considerable self-stigma and being nervous about going to the Sussex Beacon, ‘Alex’ now visits the Beacon for case work. He even makes items to be sold in their shops. ‘Alex’ is now interacting with other people living with HIV, is more confident and less afraid to live his life.

‘Jen’

Established 10 years ago, the Sussex Beacon’s Women & Families Service plays a vital role within the community. The service’s case worker has explained how ‘Jen’ is now quite settled, a year after moving to the area while suffering self-stigma and feeling quite isolated. At the time she didn’t know any other women living with HIV.

‘Jen’ started to attend the Beacon’s Women’s Group for peer support from other women living with HIV, since making friends with some women in the group. Increasing her confidence and self-worth, the group has become a key support network for her.

The group’s Women & Families worker has also provided ‘Jen’ with one-to-one support, helping her apply for disability benefits and access grants, thereby further assisting Jen to care for her disabled child.

Looking ahead …

A reception is due to be held at the Houses of Parliament in January, celebrating the Sussex Beacon’s 30 years of service to the community, hosted by the Sussex Beacon’s local MP. Additional caseworker hubs are planned in new locations including Worthing, Eastbourne and Brighton city centre. Plans are underway for a second DQ4ADAY workshop, which the Sussex Beacon hopes to hold in 2024.

As the needs of its service users continue to change, the Sussex Beacon stresses it will always adapt to ensure it continues to provide the support and care to people living with HIV, for which it has become so well known and loved.

Words by Scott Davidson

For more info on the Sussex Beacon, CLICK HERE

Brighton & Hove’s LGBTQ+ choirs to come together for annual World AIDS Day Concert on Friday, December 1

Posted on 26/10/2023 by Contributor

Brighton & Hove has long had a vibrant and dynamic musical community from all across the city. The LGBTQ+ community contributes to this through its many groups and individual performers, from their own shows, participating in other shows and as soloist, from a chorus of 100 to drag queens, from churches, theatres to bars and restaurants.

At this very moment, Actually Gay Men’s Chorus, Brighton Gay Men’s Chorus and Rainbow Chorus are busy planning Brighton and Hove’s annual musical community event, the World AIDS Day concert, to raise money for local HIV charity, Lunch Positive. An annual event, the concert will bring together the choruses – with Qukulele, Resound and Rebelles – to present an evening of musical entertainment, hosted by Jon ‘Shoutyman’ Borthwick, for all to enjoy.

Working around their own busy rehearsals for Christmas, the team has been booking a compere, light and sound, and a signer, as well as making arrangements for front of house, bucket collections, ticket sales and marketing… in fact making a list and checking it a lot more than twice!

A recent United Nations report shows that there is a clear path to ending AIDS, highlighting that ending AIDS is a political and financial choice, and that, already, some communities are achieving extraordinary results.

But some are being held back by funding shortages, legal constraints, and crackdowns on civil society and on human rights, obstructing the progress of HIV prevention and treatment services.

The theme of the World AIDS Day 2023 is a call to action to enable and support communities in leading the efforts to end AIDS through being involved in planning, financing and supporting HIV services and safe spaces.

This concert shows the power of the musical community to support HIV services in Brighton by raising money for Lunch Positive.

Lunch Positive, a community led and locally based HIV charity, offers an HIV lunch club, weekly drop-in, befriending scheme and opportunities to socialise with other HIV+ people across Brighton and beyond, creating spaces where everyone feels comfortable, valued and included. In addition to also providing advice and information, wellbeing support, and an award winning volunteering programme, it’s a great way to make new friends and to find peer support at what can be difficult and challenging times living with HIV.

Set in the beautiful St Mary’s Church, Kemptown, the concert will start at 7.30pm on Friday, December 1, allowing those who wish to attend the Candlelight Vigil in New Steine Gardens plenty of time to get to the church at the top of St James’s Street.

All performers are giving their time free of charge, and all profit from the sale of tickets, as well as a bucket collection on the night or online giving, will be donated to Lunch Positive.

Please watch our Facebook page (Brighton & Hove’s World Aids Day Concert) and the various chorus pages for further details and links to ticket purchases.

For more info on Lunch Positive, CLICK HERE

Words by Ian Groves

Images courtesy of Nick Ford Photography

Community HIV Specialist Services: community in action

Posted on 26/10/2023 by Contributor

Community HIV Specialist Services (CHIVSS) provides care for people in Brighton & Hove and West Sussex. People can be referred in by their clinic or self-refer.

Primarily we provide clinical care in people’s homes and we also provide sign posting to other services and charity organisations. We regularly attend Lunch Positive in Brighton to represent the service and take their service out to our patients who cannot travel. This has been invaluable for our street homeless and hostel patients by tailoring the service to fulfil their specific needs.

CHIVSS was also present at the Ageing Well with HIV event, which was a great opportunity to raise awareness and network with other services. We have attended the Worthing Hub Christmas meal, the Garden Party and the weekly hub. We actively supported the Zero HIV Stigma Day of Action and have connected with the Brighton Fast Track City Group. CHIVSS is supporting the development of peer supporters and the start of a lunch and support club in Worthing.

We work with the Sussex Beacon Community Team to enhance our mutual patients care needs. CHIVSS also works with the food hub providers, providing online vouchers were required. We also provide education to nursing homes, nursing and medical students ensuring up to date knowledge and access to information and services.

Working collaboratively with Community Services enhances CHIVSS service, supports our patients to attend or receive services. Ultimately providing better care for living well for long with HIV.

Standing strong with More to Me than HIV

Posted on 25/10/202325/10/2023 by Contributor

More to Me than HIV is a grassroots community art initiative that aims to normalise people living with HIV through portraiture.

We have nearly 30 people who have shown their faces publicly and shared the information that they are living with HIV. We have exhibited 24 large-scale portraits at Jubilee Library for World AIDS Day 2021 and in the London Lighthouse Gallery for the whole of June 2022.

This year we were thrilled to be invited to exhibit our portraits again in Jubilee Library for Zero HIV Stigma Day in July, which was a fantastic opportunity to show positive futures for people living with HIV. Not only were our portraits on display in the library, and featured on local ITV Meridian News, but three of our members were on stage to talk to the public about their journeys and hopes for the future.

With the HIV Outpatient clinic, the Lawson Unit, moving to the brand new hospital this year, there has been talk about displaying our portraits in the hospital, and not necessarily in the HIV department. If the whole point of our exhibition is to be open about our information, then why not inform everyone that living with HIV is not scary anymore?

For our activist members, sharing that they are living with HIV is not much of a challenge as they are used to speaking publicly about their lives. However, for others, the stigma that often surrounds HIV can be debilitating and difficult to navigate, not knowing how people are going to react, based on outdated information from fear-based campaigns in the 1980s.

This is one person’s journey which we hope will be inspiring.

“Although I have never been ashamed of my HIV status, I had only spoken up during HIV+ groups and conferences: this I wanted to change. By having my A0 sized portrait in the window of my place of work, Jubilee Library, couldn’t have been any bolder!

“I am very proud of the More to Me than HIV project and was extremely pleased that it would go on to be exhibited beyond the original project: displayed at Jubilee Library as part of Worlds AIDS Day 2022.

“As with most things scary, once the fear was faced – coming out as HIV+ at work – I quickly found the fear vanish and the strength I have always had about being positive that I was positive increased. For all of us within the HIV+ community, it is always our right about how open we are to family, friends and our wider circle, but none of us should feel fear or shame about our HIV+ diagnoses.

“There is still prejudice and misunderstanding about what HIV is, but I like to think the More to Me than HIV project has gone some way to break down the misinformation left over from the 1980s and has helped others to stand strong and say, ‘there’s more to me than HIV’.”

To learn more about us, please CLICK HERE or email info@moretomethanHIV.org.uk

Martin Fisher Foundation: working in partnership towards ZERO HIV stigma, ZERO new HIV infections and ZERO deaths from HIV

Posted on 24/10/202324/10/2023 by Contributor

The Martin Fisher Foundation (MFF) continues to work in partnership with other HIV organisations in Brighton & Hove towards ZERO HIV stigma, ZERO new HIV infections and ZERO deaths from HIV. Our aim, to work collaboratively and support shared HIV prevention and treatment goals across the city, is gaining momentum year on year as we move towards ending new HIV transmissions and eliminating HIV stigma by 2030.

July 21 of this year saw the launch of the worlds’ first International Zero HIV Stigma Day. The event held in Jubilee Square in Brighton & Hove was organised by the Towards Zero HIV Taskforce, a partnership between Brighton & Hove City Council, University Hospitals Sussex NHS Trust, MFF, the voluntary sector, including Terrence Higgins Trust and Lunch Positive, and members of the community. The joyous and sometimes moving event united people and communities, raised awareness and provided opportunities to tackle HIV stigma head-on.

“We want EVERYBODY to know that if everyone tests for HIV, commences HIV treatment if diagnosed, or accesses effective HIV prevention if negative, then we can end new HIV transmissions.”

Of course, HIV stigma doesn’t stop at Zero HIV Stigma Day – there is still work to do to continue our efforts to make HIV Stigma a thing of the past:

Talk openly about HIV, no more whispered conversations. While it is important to respect the confidentiality of individual people, talking openly about HIV as a long-term health condition will help minimise stigma.
Challenge HIV stigma when you see or hear it, direct people to resources with up-to-date information such as our website
Sign up to be an HIV Ally – MFF will keep you updated with local activities and information, visit our website and sign up.

We want EVERYBODY to know that if everyone tests for HIV, commences HIV treatment if diagnosed, or accesses effective HIV prevention if negative, then we can end new HIV transmissions. In 2022 we created a concise animation which has been viewed over 26,000 times. The animation was co-produced with clinicians, HIV community workers, members of the public and people with HIV and is being used in healthcare education, on websites, and in school education packages. It’s completely free – can you help us get to 100,000 views by sharing widely?!

To encourage self-testing our digital vending machines remain available at eight locations across the city. Tests are free and confidential – you can choose either a 20-minute rapid HIV self-test or an STI screen to return in the post. In the last 12 months, 2,500 kits have been dispensed with users reporting confidentiality, privacy and instant access as the main benefits.

Due to the high prevalence of HIV Brighton & Hove, and because we’re a Fast Track City, local NHS services have received funding from the government to implement opt-out HIV testing in the Emergency Department since April 2022. From the start we worked closely with community groups to ensure anyone newly diagnosed would be quickly linked in to support services. We have identified seven new people living with HIV who may not otherwise have been diagnosed and are now able to access daily treatment and unable to pass the virus on to anyone else. In parallel we’re running a testing pilot in eight GP practices in the city where anyone having a blood test is routinely offered an HIV test.

All these projects have been important in normalising HIV testing and reducing HIV related stigma.

Co-designed by the community and clinicians, the EmERGE mHealth apps form an integral part of care pathways for those living with stable HIV and for those taking PrEP. Both apps provide the user with access to important health data, appointment scheduling, interactive calendar, medication details and a two-way messaging service allowing direct contact with healthcare professionals at the clinic.

Initially working with communities across Europe, the ‘core’ app now has over 800 users. The technology is highly secure and confidentiality remains at the centre of the service provision. Now that PrEP is approved on the NHS, many sexual health providers are experiencing waiting lists and capacity constraints. EmERGE mHealth Limited worked with the Terrence Higgins Trust and clinicians to develop a PrEP app. Operational for nearly two years with over 600 users, user feedback is very strong.

In both cases, Core and PrEP, user visits to the clinic are reduced thereby relieving capacity for those in greater need. As a result, Brighton & Hove Sexual Health services have never had a waiting list for potential PrEP patients. These innovations could not have been achieved without community involvement.

World AIDS Day: HIV Hour – the time is now!

Posted on 24/10/202324/10/2023 by Contributor

Words by Josh Sharples, Sue Hunter, Tony McGraff, Stephen Hart and David Fray.

Perhaps one of this city’s best, (or depending on your view, worst), kept secrets, is that we host the only radio programme dedicated to people living with HIV, and it is also for people affected by HIV. Doesn’t that mean everyone? Yes, we think so.

The HIV Hour is broadcast on 97.2 FM in the Brighton & Hove area and on DAB+ radio. Whilst there are other podcasts produced for people living with HIV, the show is currently the only one that is broadcast on radio.

We have a small team of volunteer presenters and producers that is quite a good representation of most of the communities that we aim to reach. All our presenters are living with HIV and are local to Brighton, Hove and Worthing, with one of our presenters representing communities in London.

HIV Hour with Gary Pargeter from Lunch Positive (centre)

Our audience has gotten to know us over the years and trusts us as a source of news and support. We inform listeners about local and national services and how to make healthy lifestyle choices. We talk about stigma and the importance of education and sharing up-to-date information.

We have built up a good rapport with healthcare providers and service providers, with many coming forward to ask to come onto the show and engage with our audience. At national HIV conferences, we have been applauded by healthcare professionals for reaching into people’s homes such as in rural areas where internet connectivity is patchy.

Our podcast, with its national and international reach, expands the show’s influence far beyond Brighton & Hove. We strive to have as many of our communities as possible represented in our guests and news features and discussions.

At the end of July 2023, the HIV Hour show took part in the first Zero HIV Sigma Day in Brighton & Hove and encouraged our audience to attend the first Stigma March in London.

We were thrilled to be invited to take part in the recent Ageing Well with HIV Community Lunch where we met people who had been on the show in the past and new people who wanted to take part.

It was good to meet our audience in places where they meet, and that is what we have planned for the next year, to outreach to our audience and invite them to join us in talking about the HIV issues they want discussed.

In October we were thrilled to be given a grant by the Brighton Rainbow Fund to do exactly this, meet our audience in their natural habitat, (so to speak). After all, we broadcast into their homes, it is only right that we meet them in places where they access services. So we aim to visit Lunch Positive, (including their outer Brighton services), the Worthing Hub, the Sussex Beacon and the Lawson Unit Patient Panel and others.

So please get in touch with us and join us on the show. Please email us at HIVHour@gmail.com, we would love to hear from you.

A brilliant outlook – the new Lawson Unit

Posted on 23/10/2023 by Contributor

Words by Zoe Adler and the Lawson Unit Team

In June this year the Lawson Unit finally moved! After years of planning and numerous changes of date, we finally packed our bags, boxes, house plants and artwork and moved into our brand new purpose built clinic. The new clinic is situated on the sixth floor of the Louisa Martindale building in the Royal Sussex County Hospital and boasts fantastic views across Kemptown and the sea.

The move posed numerous challenges but also opportunities. At times it felt like a house move with a VERY large family! Over 2,400 patients and a lot staff. The team were amazing and worked flat out, including over an entire weekend to ensure the clinic was ready to open its doors to the first patients with the usual Lawson Unit welcome on Monday morning.

The move has brought us into the main hospital and has meant that for the first time we are co-located with inpatient services. This has given us excellent opportunities to educate and support each other, with the team in the Lawson Unit educating the team on the ward about how best to care for and support people living with HIV who are inpatients.

It has supported the work of the A & E department in its opt out HIV testing from which we have found seven new HIV diagnoses that may not have been tested otherwise. The ward has also been a great support to our team, sharing equipment and knowledge to support our staff and to improve patient experience and flow through the hospital.

With the fresh start and new space, we felt it was important to open the doors to our wider community. We are lucky to have such amazing support for people living with HIV in the city and wanted to continue these great relationships by working more closely together.

On a weekly basis in clinic, we have:

Lunch Positive offering a place to talk and supporting people to overcome isolation, access their lunch club and other community support services.

Peer Mentoring, offering support in tackling stigma and isolation and promoting empowerment.

Terrence Higgins Trust offering support with housing and welfare, social support and counselling.

The specialist Psychology team have also increased their activity in clinic, supporting patients with their mental health and supporting staff through supervision.

It has been a real privilege to welcome everyone into the new space and feedback so far has been mostly positive. It has been of great benefit to us having all the additional expertise of other organisations in clinic with us. We hope that we have managed to take the important parts of the Lawson Unit with us and continue to build a clinic that works excellently for everyone that access it.

Leading the Charge: Herpes Cure Research Group aims for a better future

Posted on 02/10/202302/10/2023 by Contributor

In the realm of volunteer-driven advocacy, the Herpes Cure Research group has emerged as a powerful force dedicated to advancing the field of herpes simplex virus (HSV) research. Beginning on Reddit and expanding rapidly to Facebook, this group has brought together over 20,000 passionate members from around the world, all united in their mission to make a difference.

The primary goal of the Herpes Cure Research group is to promote research and drive progress in the field of HSV, focusing on better testing mechanisms, integration of HSV into standard STI panels, development of treatments to eliminate transmission, and ultimately the delivery of a vaccine and a cure.

The group has achieved significant milestones in its relatively short existence. Collaborating with esteemed institutions like the Fred Hutch Center and Penn Medicine, they have raised substantial funds for vital research initiatives. Notably, the group has raised over $650,000 (£534,000) for gene therapy treatment research at the Fred Hutch Center led by Dr Keith Jerome, and an additional $360,000 (£296,000) for prophylactic and therapeutic vaccine research at Penn Medicine, under the guidance of Dr Harvey Friedman.

In an impressive display of advocacy prowess, the Herpes Cure Research group successfully lobbied the Senate and Congress to address HSV directly in the Appropriations Bill for 2022. This achievement underscores the group’s dedication to influencing policy and securing necessary funding for herpes research and awareness.

Looking ahead, the group remains steadfast in its objectives. They advocate for a more proactive approach to HSV testing, challenging existing guidelines that recommend against testing in the absence of symptoms. Their belief is that an inclusive approach to testing is essential, enabling individuals to protect their loved ones and reduce transmission effectively.

The group passionately pushes for HSV to be included in standard STI panels, recognising that this shift can significantly impact public health by providing comprehensive insights into the prevalence of the virus and paving the way for better preventive strategies. The group also highlights the disproportional impact of HSV on women and underrepresented groups, underscoring the urgent need for a universal ‘Undetectable = Untransmittable’ (U=U) campaign for HSV.

Such a campaign could mirror the success achieved in HIV prevention, ultimately reducing the burden of both HSV and HIV infections. As research shows, 30% of new HIV acquisitions are attributed to an HSV2 infection and advances in HSV could have huge positive impact to reduce HIV rates simultaneously.

The Herpes Cure Research group remains dedicated to their long-term objectives of developing a vaccine and a cure. Through collaboration, fundraising, advocacy, and a steadfast belief in the power of research, they continue their essential work to improve the lives of those affected by HSV and strive for a world free of its impact.

Heterosexual HIV diagnoses overtake those in gay and bisexual men for first time in Scotland since 2007

Posted on 26/09/2023 by Contributor

For the first time in over a decade, new HIV diagnoses among heterosexuals are higher than for gay and bisexual men, according to new figures released today (Tuesday, September 26) from Public Health Scotland.

Last year in Scotland, 42% of all new HIV diagnoses were in heterosexuals, compared to 29% in gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men (GBMSM). Levels of late diagnosis were also slightly elevated in heterosexuals,meaning damage to the immune system may have already begun 27% of those who acquired HIV through heterosexual sexual intercourse were diagnosed at a late/very late stage – this compares to 23% of GBMSM.

Whilst GBMSM remain more impacted by HIV relative to population size, targeted interventions in this group have led to one of the big success stories of the epidemic. The steep decline of 37% since 2017 in new HIV diagnosesamong GBMSM is partially attributed to uptake of the HIV prevention pill PrEP among this group, who between July and December 2022 accounted for 85% of first time prescriptions. It’s also thanks to accessible HIV testing, condoms, health promotion and people living with HIV’s adherence to treatment which supresses the virus and means it can’t be passed on to partners.

“Scotland can – and should – be the first country in the world to eliminate new transmissions of HIV and Public Health Scotland’s data shows some progress towards this goal.”

New diagnoses in heterosexuals has seen an increase of 13% since 2019. Whilst the picture is incomplete without testing data, it reinforces the urgent need for a national HIV action plan that sets out how equitable progress to the Scottish Government’s 2030 HIV goal will be made by all communities affected by HIV. This must include the scaling up of testing through the introduction of HIV opt-out testing in Scotland’s emergency departments, as well as improving access to PrEP by making it freely available in GP surgeries, community pharmacies, and online. This is of enhanced importance, with today’s data revealing that 93% of those prescribed PrEP in Scotland are GBMSM and 92% are White.

The latest HIV statistics from Public Health Scotland also shows there were 317 new diagnoses of HIV in Scotland in 2022 – a 49% rise on the previous year but a 2% decline on comparable pre-pandemic levels. Of diagnoses recorded in 2022, 108 were classed as new, first ever infections. Newly recorded cases of HIV in people who inject drugs has significantly declined by 82% from 2019 to 2022, however the impact of the pandemic on testing rates amongst this community means that these numbers are caveated. As Scotland moves towards the development of Safe Drug Consumption Facilities, it is vital that HIV testing and care is a core component of these programmes.

The number of people estimated to be living with undiagnosed HIV in Scotland remains at 500. Today’s statistics also show that only 84% of those diagnosed with HIV in Scotland are recorded as attending specialist HIV care, with anestimated 1,461 people not diagnosed or not engaged with HIV clinical services – reinforcing the need for renewed efforts to re-engage people into HIV care.

“These statistics show that Scotland is making progress on ending new cases of HIV by 2030 – but we won’t get there by accident.”

Data on testing rates in Scotland and whether these have recovered from the COVID-19 pandemic remain unavailable. As a result of this, caution must be taken when reading and interpreting new data. The Scottish Government and Public Health Scotland should work to ensure this gap in data is remedied for future publications. Terrence Higgins Trust are calling for improved HIV data collection in Scotland, with a focus on the inclusion of testing rates and consistent demographic breakdown in HIV statistical releases.

Alan Eagleson, Head of Scotland Services at Terrence Higgins Trust, said: “These statistics show that Scotland is making progress on ending new cases of HIV by 2030 – but we won’t get there by accident. The clock to 2030 is clicking and while today’s statistics show some progress, more must be done to ensure that equitable progress is being made, and that no communities are left behind.”

“Ramping up HIV testing is fundamental to this. We know that opt-out HIV testing in emergency departments removes some of the persistent barriers that prevent individuals from accessing a HIV test and that this is highly beneficial to those who are less likely to be in regular contact with a sexual health clinic. The programme in England has been a phenomenal success in identifying new cases of HIV, Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C – in just 16 months over 3,000 people have been found and diagnosed with HIV and hepatitis viruses. This intervention works – and must be rolled out as a matter of urgency in Scotland.”

“The availability of PrEP has been a success story in Scotland’s mission to end new cases of HIV. While we await a finalised proposal of what Scotland’s online PrEP clinic will look like, further work must be undertaken now to expand access of the pill outside of sexual health services and into GPs and community pharmacies.”

“Scotland can – and should – be the first country in the world to eliminate new transmissions of HIV and Public Health Scotland’s data shows some progress towards this goal. The Scottish Government must now set out a clear action plan that delivers on Scotland’s 2030 HIV ambition.”

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Brighton and Sussex Medical School – vibrant research programmes