Did you know that people who are on effective treatment for HIV and have an undetectable viral load cannot pass the virus on? This is known as Undetectable = Untransmittable or “U=U”.
In 2019, there were estimated to be about 105,000 people living with HIV in the UK. Of those, 89% are on effective treatment and cannot pass the virus on to partners through sex without a condom. This positive message is key to reducing HIV stigma and ending HIV infections in the UK.
Only around 5% of people living with HIV do not know they are living with HIV.
Standard infection control measures protect from all Blood Borne Viruses, including HIV. Where a patient shares their HIV status with you, you do not need to take any extra precautions or tell others about their status unless it is necessary for their immediate care.
You may be worried about needlestick injuries. In the extremely rare case that a needlestick injury occurs with a patient who has a detectable viral load. A course of Post-Exposure Prophylaxis (PEP) offers a high level of protection from HIV. In the UK, there have only ever been five definite cases of HIV infection following a needlestick injury in a healthcare setting, and none reported since 1999.
Changing stigmatising attitudes and eradicating discriminatory behaviour is key to reaching the target of zero new HIV infections by 2030. As stigma reduces, more people get tested, leading them to access effective treatment, which, ultimately, will lead to an end of new infections.
Together, we can end HIV infections in the UK.
Your organisation has made a commitment to be HIV Confident. As part of this process, you will soon be given access to the HIV Confident Healthcare eLearning package. This short training will help you to understand more about HIV and stigma in healthcare. More information on HIV Confident is available on this website. For up-to-date information on HIV visit www.aidsmap.org.