World AIDS Day – Calls for Better Services in Powys

The 1st of December marks World AIDS Day where people take the time to remember those impacted by the virus but also turn the policy aspiration of ending new cases of HIV into a plan for action. The day has seen cross-party support in Wales to try and end new cases of HIV before the decade is out.

In order to try and achieve this goal, regional Welsh Liberal Democrat Senedd Member Jane Dodds has called on the Welsh Government to improve access to sexual health services in Powys.

Commenting Jane Dodds said:

“As a nation, Wales has made great strides in minimising the physical, psychological and societal impact of HIV. And thanks to the hard work of researchers, our understanding of HIV has grown significantly.

“However, the shame, stigma, and isolation associated with HIV and AIDS has not gone away. No one should ever feel alone because of their HIV status.

“Ending new transmissions by 2030 is within reach – we have made huge strides in recent years, particularly with finally making PrEP available on the NHS.

“However, poor access to sexual health services and testing in rural areas like Powys holds individuals back, and hampers our ability to end new transmissions of HIV.

“It’s disappointing that PTHB is the only area in Wales where there is no dedicated clinic for residents to access PrEP.

“I would like to see some clarity from the Welsh Government on whether they are satisfied with the availability of sexual health services in Mid Wales and whether they would consider making PrEP available to more clinics in Powys.

“Working together we can end both the stigma around AIDS and HIV as well as ending new transmissions.”