LGBT Labour today marks World AIDS Day with a call for a redoubling of efforts on safer sex awareness, alongside a commitment to stand up for HIV services in the face of swingeing government cuts that are having a dramtic impact.

Thirty years of HIV in the UK and gay and bisexual men remain at significant risk of HIV. Men who have sex with men makingup 69% of all HIV infections acquired through sex in the UK. This points to an urgent need to sustain efforts to raise awareness of HIV/AIDS through better sex and relationships education in schools and targetted health promotion campaigns aimed at adults. 

There is now an all time high number of people living with HIV in the UK, almost 100,000 cases. Investments over the past decade have seen increasing number of people being tested for HIV, leading to many new diagnoses and more people becoming aware of their HIV status. However, nearly a third of those living with HIV don't know their HIV status. More must be done to increase testing and prevent late diagnosis of HIV. 

Hannah Blythyn, Co-Chair of LGBT Labour comments:

“As the number of those living with HIV in the UK approaches 100,000, LGBT Labour calls for a new approach in raising awareness of safer sex and sex education. We also need to see the protection of vital services which are facing cuts at the hands of the Tory-led government. In London alone, HIV-related services are seeing budget cuts of over 40% and a reduction in the number of social workers and specialist support for those living with HIV - all at a time when resources need to be focused on raising awareness and prioriting testing in order to reverse the trend of HIV transmission.”

"The Governments Health and Social Care Bill is pushing through dramatic top-down changes to the NHS. It will create a postcode lottery of provision, risks damaging doctor-patient relationships and is a massive distraction from the important work of improving care for people with HIV. It's time for the Government to prioritise public health and not NHS reorganisation."