South Tyneside Sexual Health #RockTheRibbon
Each year South Tyneside Sexual Health support World Aids Day standing by allies, fighting HIV stigma and discrimination.
2021 marks 40 years since the first reported cases of HIV-related illnesses and death, however in 2021, we can see how far advances in medicine and technology have come since the times when being diagnosed with HIV was a death sentence. Now, 98% of people living with HIV in the UK are on effective treatment and 97% can’t pass the virus on.
Today an estimated 105,200 people live with HIV in the UK. Public engagement studies conducted by the National Aids Trust in the UK found 63% of the public do not remember seeing or hearing about HIV in the past six months. Only a third said they have sympathy for people living with HIV regardless of how they acquired it.
Further research undertook by the National Aids Trust also found 1 in 5 think people think you can acquire HIV through kissing. Only 16% knew if someone is on effective treatment, they can’t pass HIV on and can expect to live a long and healthy life.
World AIDS Day is the perfect time to improve these stats and raise much needed awareness about HIV around the UK
We have a once in a lifetime opportunity to end the HIV epidemic for good, but we must also continue fighting the stigma still experienced by people living with HIV.
With the recent Syphilis indictors increasing in the UK, it is also important to screen regularly for all sexually Transmitted infections. Having bacterial infections such as Syphilis could make it easier for a person to contract or pass on HIV. Syphilis can become worse more quickly becoming harder to treat for a person living with HIV. However, for a person on HIV treatment having an undetectable viral load, the treatment for HIV will have greater efficacy when taken.
What is World AIDS Day?
World AIDS Day takes place on 1 December each year. It’s an opportunity for people worldwide to unite in the fight against HIV, to show support for people living with HIV, and to commemorate those who have died from an AIDS-related illness. Founded in 1988, World AIDS Day was the first ever global health day.
Why is World AIDS Day important?
Over 105,200 people are living with HIV in the UK. Globally, there are an estimated 38 million people who have the virus. Despite the virus only being identified in 1984, more than 35 million people have died of HIV or AIDS, making it one of the most destructive pandemics in history.
Today, scientific advances have been made in HIV treatment, there are laws to protect people living with HIV and we understand so much more about the condition. Despite this, each year in the UK over 4,450 people are diagnosed with HIV, people do not know the facts about how to protect themselves and others, and stigma and discrimination remain a reality for many people living with the condition.
World AIDS Day is important because it reminds the public and government that HIV has not gone away – there is still a vital need to raise money, increase awareness, fight prejudice and improve education.
Keep a lookout for South Tyneside Town Hall being lit up red in support of World Aids Day 2021 on December 1st.
Big thanks to the the Public Health team at South Tyneside Council for organising
This year we’re asking you to #RockTheRibbon with our community and be an HIV ally in South Tyneside
Use the social media hashtag #RockTheRibbon on social media to support.
Contact South Tyneside Sexual Health to book an HIV & Syphilis test or order online by visiting Order a STI test kit | SH:24 (sh24.org.uk)