Brighton charity calls for HIV messaging in all bars and clubs
The Sussex Beacon says that stigma around the disease is putting lives at risk
A Brighton charity says HIV messaging displayed in gay bars should be in every pub.
The Sussex Beacon says that stigma around the disease and who it can affect is impacting how early it's caught - putting lives at risk.
It's follows a pledge from the city to become the UK's first with no new HIV infections and deaths by 2030.
Rachel Brett, the charity's CEO, says it's important to highlight that testing is for everyone: "We do not see the same level of testing in the rest of our community," she explained.
"If kind of a mainstream straight or club or whatever, it's highly unlikely that you'll see anything about HIV testing, highly unlikely that you'll see anything about PrEP.
"We need to copy what we've done really successfully for, gay, bi men and also put those in the places that the rest of the community go to." She added that HIV testing should be offered alongside check ups such as smear tests and breast exams.
An opt out scheme which automatically screens everyone for HIV when having a blood test, has already diagnosed around 2000 cases in England that could have otherwise been missed.
Tracey Buckingham, their Clinical Services Manager, added that "stigma is the biggest killer" - and testing must be normalised: "We've got to try and find a way of making org people recognise that they are, if you are sexually active, then you are at risk of HIV.
"Where it's currently advertised and highlighted, that they already know, the gay clubs, they know about it, they're testing.
"It's probably middle aged women, newly single, newly divorced, who don't think they're at risk, but are more likely to acquire HIV."