Raising awareness this World AIDS Day

01 Dec 2022 ARCHIVED (over 3 months old) - view latest news

December 1 is World AIDS Day and health leads at Northumberland County Council are reminding residents that HIV and AIDS have not gone away. 

Over 105,000 people are living with HIV in the UK. World AIDS Day is an opportunity for people across the globe to unite in the fight against HIV, reflect on the medical progress that has been made, show their support for people living with the illness and to commemorate people who have died. 

Liz Morgan, Director of Public Health at Northumberland County Council, said: “HIV is a completely preventable disease. It is really important to raise awareness of HIV and AIDS and the treatments that are available in Northumberland.  

“We now have the tools to end HIV transmission but there is still a lot of ignorance and misinformation about HIV. World Aids Day is an excellent opportunity to raise awareness and provide people with prevention information and advice, and effective treatment to stop HIV in its tracks." 

Northumberland County Councillor Wendy Pattison, cabinet member for adult wellbeing said: “Testing, early diagnosis and early treatment, gives people the best chance of living a healthy life, for longer, and also reduces the risk of passing on the infection to someone else unknowingly.  

 “We’d encourage anyone who thinks they might be at risk of HIV to get themselves checked by contacting our local sexual health services, about a range of prevention measures that are free and confidential.” 

You can order a home testing kit from www.freetesting.hiv 

Or to find out more about the Northumberland Sexual Health Service visit  https://www.northumbria.nhs.uk/our-services/sexual-health-services