There were 101 new HIV diagnosis last year in Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland’s only dedicated HIV charity has warned that falling awareness of the virus is harming efforts to stop new tranmissions.
Positive life has said that Department of Health statistics show there were 101 new diagnosis of HIV in Nothern Ireland in 2024, with there now being 1,439 people living with HIV. With December 1 marking World AIDS day, the charity has warned this is a worrying trend amid a plan to eliminate new HIV transmissions by 2030.
The charity has said that recent survey data shows there has been a drop in awareness regarding HIV in NI, particularly with younger people, with 20% of 16-34 year olds saying they had not heard of it. It said that despite significant advances in treatment and prevention over the last 40 years, fewer than one in three people know that someone on effective medication cannot pass the virus on.
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Positive Life says deep-seated prejudice, shame and stigma around HIV and sexual health prevents people in Northern Ireland from accessing testing and healthcare support for the life-long health condition.
Jacquie Richardson, Chief Executive of Positive Life NI, said, “Awareness is going backwards at the very time when accurate information is most needed. Right now, a growing number of people do not have the knowledge they need to make informed decisions about their sexual health. In this widening information vacuum, it’s deeply worrying when we hear young people saying they would simply get an antibiotic and treat HIV like any other sexually transmitted infection. We need to keep HIV on the radar: it’s an extremely serious virus, it requires life-long management and, left untreated, it can be life-threatening.”
The charity has said there is an outdated view on HIV that it is a “gay man’s disease”, saying the fastest growing group who are newly diagnosed are hetrosexual, particularly middle aged women , who no longer use contraception as birth control, but forget about the importance of protecting themselves from sexually transmitted infections, including HIV.
While Northern Ireland’s numbers of new diagnoses are relatively small, the charity leader is frustrated that more isn’t being done to eliminate HIV here.
Jacquie Richardson continued: “The fact that around 100 new cases of HIV occur in Northern Ireland means that there are people who, through no fault of their own, are HIV+ and do not know it. The only way to end onward transmission is to get tested, know your status and to access medical treatment.
“Ironically, those who are most at risk of getting HIV are the people who do not consider themselves “at risk”.”
“We’re calling for the Health Minister to introduce HIV blood testing as a matter of course in hospital EDs, which has worked very well in other parts of GB in detecting these otherwise hidden cases. It’s the simplest and most common sense way to tackle HIV so it can be wiped out altogether.”
Within the last month, the Department of Health has confirmed that a new injectable form of the HIV-prevention drug PrEP, will be made available here, news which has been widely welcomed.
However, Positive Life has urged a note of caution. Jacquie Richardson continued: “Prevention only works when people know their options and can access them easily. The NI Health Survey revealed that only 17% of those surveyed were aware of PrEP: this is another indication of a very disappointing information void around sexual health.
“Northern Ireland has a genuine opportunity to be the first region in the UK to reach zero new HIV diagnosis by 2030 but we’re only going to achieve this with a targeted effort.
“World AIDS Day is our chance to get the facts out there, and blow apart the old myths which mean that hundreds of people here are still living with HIV in silence, secrecy and shame. Our message is: get tested, know your status and end HIV.”
Positive Life provides free, confidential rapid HIV testing at its Belfast centre and conducts outreach testing across Northern Ireland.
For more information, visit www.positivelifeni.com or call 0800 137437 .
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