Words by Smiley Team
Wales has announced its plans to eliminate new HIV cases by 2030 – in just eight years.
A 26-point plan will be revealed late June 2022 detailing exactly how Wales intends to go about this. So far, we know the plan will include making condoms and PReP more easily accessible. PReP stands for Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis and is a drug that can be taken by people who do not have a disease, but are at a higher risk of contracting it. It is primarily used in the prevention of HIV/AIDS.
"There is no place for ignorance or intolerance in modern Wales," said the Health Minister Eluned Morgan.
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As part of this new plan, the school curriculums will be changed to include more information on HIV/AIDS and how to prevent the spread. The curriculum will attempt to address the stigma that is associated with contracting and living with HIV, as well as the stigma associated with being gay.
The new government-led initiative will create better access to condoms, PReP and other preventative measures. This comes with a £3.9million investment into ‘texting for testing’, an initiative to encourage people to test regularly and quickly for HIV.
Perhaps most crucially, GPs and pharmacies all across the country, including in more rural areas, will now be able to give out PReP to those who are at a higher risk of contracting HIV.
This includes men who have sex with other men without using a condom, and HIV-negative people of all genders who have sex with a HIV-positive partner, when their HIV is not suppressed.
A 12-week consultation period has begun, giving people and organisations in healthcare the opportunity to comment on the initiative before it begins.
DONATE: Help the National Aids Trust eliminate HIV/AIDS by donating your time or money.
GET INVOLVED: Help charities such as the Terrence Higgins Trust by fundraising.
