Despite PrEP’s effectiveness at preventing HIV, new research has revealed that just 20% of people know about it in the UK.
The drug reduces the risk of getting the virus from sex by 99% when taken correctly, though the findings from YouGov’s new polling, which was conducted on behalf of Terrence Higgins Trust, shows that ignorance about it is still rife.
In fact, only a quarter of the British public know that an HIV-positive person cannot pass on the virus when on effective treatment.
In addition, a staggering 77% of people don’t know that England can end new HIV cases by 2030 as the government proposed on World AIDS Day in 2021.
Sexual health clinics and charities both stress the importance of knowing your status in order to achieve this goal.
However, only 27% of people know that you can safely and accurately test for HIV without visiting a clinic in person.
Home tests are available to order online throughout the UK and mean you can do a sexual health screening from the comfort of your own home, if preferred.
@gaytimes Just 20% of people know about PrEP in the UK 😱 #prep #health #healthnews #ukhealth #ukhealthcare ♬ original sound – GAY TIMES
Ian Green, the CEO of Terrence Higgins Trust, previously told GAY TIMES: “Testing is crucial as we work towards ending new cases of HIV by 2030 – but HIV stigma continues to be a barrier.
“HIV can affect anyone of any gender, sexuality, age, and ethnicity, that’s why it’s crucial that we normalise and promote HIV testing.
“Together we can get one step closer to ending the HIV epidemic and eradicate the stigma associated with the virus for good.”
Fieldwork for YouGov’s polling took place from 31 October to 2 November with a sample size of 2,088 adults across the UK.
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