As Do It London, the Lambeth-led, London-wide campaign to end new HIV infections by 2030 launches a new campaign to get Londoners of all ages, genders and cultures working together to end HIV, the London HIV Prevention Programme and other healthcare specialists are working to make sex safer for all London’s diverse communities.
Word From the Cabinet
Cllr David Bridson, Lambeth’s Cabinet Lead for Health, said: “Knowledge is power, and with Lambeth-led information campaigns from Do It London sharing the knowledge about the four sure ways to control HIV, London is consistently meeting UNAIDS targets. It’s part of the great work that is going into meeting our ambitious aim of zero new transmissions by 2030. And with the new Find Sexual Health website, Lambeth is working with our partners across South London to give all kinds of diverse communities the power to take control of their health.”
HIV Action Plan update
In 2021 the government’s first HIV Action Plan for England set out the UK’s targets for 2025 to meet the long-term commitment to end HIV transmission by 2030, reducing the numbers of:
- people diagnosed with HIV in England by 80%
- people diagnosed with an AIDS-defining condition within 3 months of an HIV diagnosis by 50%
- HIV-related deaths in England by 50%
And ending HIV-related stigma.
The Action Plan update report published in February finds substantial reductions in new HIV diagnoses (especially among men having sex with men) but health inequalities are still an issue for some communities. An estimated 104,000 adults in England are living with HIV – with many asking for mental health support. 98% of people on HIV treatment are undetectable and can’t pass on the virus. More people tested for HIV at sexual health clinics (up by 8% between 2021 and 2023) and there’s an 11% rise in people from all cultures taking PrEP to prevent infection – but again, gender identity, sexuality and ethnicity are still barriers to take-up of that medicine.
New vaccine for sexual health
This August, a new anti-gonorrhoea vaccine becomes widely available to help protect Londoners’ sexual health and save the NHS time and money on treating sexually transmitted infections. Two doses of MenB could protect against gonorrhoea for at least three years. MenB is expected to be most useful in the communities who are most likely to test positive for gonorrhoea – including gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men (GBMSM), some transgender women, Black Caribbean communities, Latin American communities, and young people aged between 15 and 24. MenB will also be available to buy from pharmacies.
Find information and advice on new sexual health website
Lambeth has worked with Southwark, Lewisham, Bexley and Bromley to launch a new website called Find Sexual Health which connects people with free local and online services including sections on services for young people and LGBTQ+ people.
More information
- Do it London and the 2025 ‘Let’s prevent HIV together’ campaign
- MenB: A gonorrhoea vaccine
- Find Sexual Health – information for LGBTQ+ people
