Coronavirus (COVID-19) guidelines and resources for HIV and sexual health sector

Coronavirus (COVID-19) has created the biggest public health challenge in living memory. As the NHS continues to respond to the pandemic, the HIV and sexual health sector has adapted quickly to continue to support the populations it serves.

Our health systems and services delivered by the Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise (VCSE) sector are finding new ways to deliver care and support by telephone, online and via their communication channels.

The following information provides sector guidelines for people working in HIV and sexual health, including resources for communities in response to the challenges coronavirus have presented.

Guidelines for health and sector professionals

British HIV Association (BHIVA)

British Association for Sexual Health and HIV (BASHH)

Faculty of Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare (FRSH)

FRSH, BASHH and BHIVA

Community resources and information

Terrence Higgins Trust

NAT (National AIDS Trust)

i-base

Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants (JCWI), Migrants Organise, and Medact

  • Covid-19 Mutual Aid UK: Guide for Supporting Migrants During Coronavirus (via Google docs. Not HIV specific, for organisations working with migrants)

Correlation Network, Europe

International

World Health Organisation (WHO)

UNAIDS

As new information arises we will update accordingly.

Manchester launches new HIV campaign

HIV: Let's sort this together.

The PaSH Partnership (BHA for Equality, George House Trust, and LGBT Foundation) have launched a new campaign which aims to end new cases of HIV in Greater Manchester.

Launched at the HIV Commission Hearing Session on 13 February 2020, the HIV: Let’s sort this together campaign is part of the first phase towards Greater Manchester’s ambition of ending all new cases of HIV within a generation by reducing transmissions, late HIV diagnoses, and eventually new diagnoses of HIV. This is an important part of the Greater Manchester Population Health Plan for residents to have the best start in life, and to live and age well.

The campaign

The campaign motivates residents of Greater Manchester to take charge of their sexual health and plan a safer, more enjoyable sex life in a number of ways:

  • TEST: Encourage residents to test regularly for HIV by providing information on how and where to test.
  • MANAGE: Advise those who test positive for HIV how to manage their HIV treatment and receive the support they need to reach undetectable and, therefore, untransmittable viral levels (U=U).
  • PREVENT: Inform and encourage methods such as PEP, PrEP, and condoms and lube.

The campaign is promoted via:

  • social media and digital advertising
  • radio and out-of-home advertising
  • the Sort HIV website
  • merchandise for community events
  • PR

Get involved

Community leaders, faith leaders, GPs, sexual health clinics and other stakeholders are invited to take part by:

  • Using promotional materials such as print-ready posters and flyers, waiting room screens and digital assets, including email footers, website banners and desktop wallpaper – access via Dropbox.
  • Sharing the campaign on your social media channels and through internal communications.
  • Telling service users and community members about SortHIV.org.uk, where they can access information about HIV and prevention as well as links to order home testing kits.
  • Using the hashtag #SortHIV to talk about the campaign on social media.

HPE Conference 2020

HPE organises a conference to bring together professionals working in HIV prevention and sexual health in England, as well as other key figures and influencers in the field of HIV. The 2020 conference took place on Tuesday 18 February in central London.

Download the programme [PDF]

Coming soon: conference presentations

Morning conference sessions

Opening plenary

  • Welcome: Adam Winter, Public Health England.
  • Keynote Speech: Bruce Richman, Prevention Access Campaign.
  • The HIV Commission: Dame Inga Beale, HIV Commission.
  • Progress towards getting to zero transmissions, zero deaths and zero stigma due to HIV in the UK: Dr Valerie Delpech, Public Health England.
  • Chair: Ian Green, Terrence Higgins Trust.

HIV testing: Breaking barriers, driving access

  • Changing trends of HIV risks among MSM in London: Dee Wang, Spectra and The GMI partnership
  • Reducing barriers to HIV self-testing among black Africans: George Halfin, Terrence Higgins Trust
  • Incentivised HIV testing at food banks: Anne Glew, The Brunswick Centre
  • A reflection of seven years of HIV testing during National HIV Testing Week in Croydon: Denise Dixon (On behalf of Fred Semugera) Croydon Council

Afternoon conference sessions

Ensuring PrEP access and uptake in key populations

  • Attitudes and factors determining PrEP uptake in London: Dee Wang, Spectra and The GMI partnership
    MobPresh: women, PrEP and sexual health: Amelia Thorp, Yorkshire MESMAC
  • Are MSM using PrEP safely? Results from an online questionnaire: Greg Owen, I Want PrEP Now
  • PrEP and Prejudice: PrEP initiative for BA communities: Juddy Otti, Africa Advocacy Foundation
  • Reflections from a woman PrEP user: Haru Majengwa

STIs and sexual health: what’s working to reach highly affected groups

  • STI diagnoses among asymptomatic MSM in community testing services: Alissa Ferry, Positive East and the GMI partnership
  • Increasing STI e-testing uptake among black queer men: Phil Samba, PrEPster
  • Different community models to reach key populations in the North of England: Wellington Moyo and Pat McCusker, Yorkshire MESMAC
  • Age is no Protection: sexual health promotion in the over 50s: Steve Maddern, Wiltshire Council and Age UK
  • Improving Trans and Non Binary sexual health: third sector partnership with GUM services: Patrick Hands and Dr Madeleine Crow, Yorkshire MESMAC and Leeds Sexual Health

Closing plenary

  • The HIV Prevention Programme 2016-2019: Chamut Kifetew, Terrence Higgins Trust
  • Overview of future HIV technologies: Simon Collins, i-Base
  • No one left behind, panel discussion: Dr Vanessa Apea, Luis Guerra, Ian Howley, Lizzie Jordan, Harvey Kennedy and Michelle Ross

HIV Prevention England Conference 2020

There’s less than one week to go before the HPE Conference 2020 and we are excited to bring together more than 300 professionals who work in HIV prevention, sexual health and beyond.

The conference programme will explore ways to improve the nation’s sexual health, reduce the rising rates in sexually transmitted infections and reach zero new HIV diagnoses by 2030.

This event will provide a platform for open discussion as well as practical learning opportunities that delegates can take back to their organisations, clinics and other places of work.

We’re delighted to share the final HPE conference 2020 programme [PDF].

This event is now at full capacity – but you can still get involved.

Participate online

We will be live-streaming the Opening and Closing Plenary sessions (9.30am and 3.45pm) on YouTube. Breakout sessions in the main hall will also be available to watch online which include:

  • HIV Testing: Breaking barriers, driving access (11am to 12.15pm)
  • Ensuring PrEP access and uptake in key populations (1.00pm to 2.10pm)
  • STIs and sexual health: what’s working to reach highly affected groups (2.15pm to 3.30pm)

You can also follow the conference on Twitter, where we will be inviting delegates to discuss the presentations and workshops, our event hashtag is #HPE2020.

The conference is organised by Terrence Higgins Trust for HIV Prevention England (HPE), the national HIV prevention programme commissioned by Public Health England.

We wish to thank our corporate sponsors whose support has helped to provide an enhanced conference experience.

Sponsor logos - ByMe, Pasante, Gilead, Viiv

State of the Nation

Guest blog by Amber Newbigging-Lister, Policy and Campaigns Officer, Terrence Higgins Trust.

STIs are soaring, sexual health services are overstretched and public health funding continues to be cut in England. Sexual health inequalities, hindered access, changing behaviours and STI stigma, all contribute to further challenges in the sector.

Terrence Higgins Trust and British Association for Sexual Health and HIV (BASHH) have launched their new report ‘Sexually transmitted infections in England: The State of the Nation’. With a stocktake of current evidence, the report has attempted to answer the what and why questions of STIs facing us today.

Findings

New STI diagnoses rose by 5% in 2018 from 2017, with new diagnoses of gonorrhoea and syphilis increasing by 249% and 165% respectively over the past decade. STIs disproportionately impact certain groups: men who have sex men make up 75% of all new syphilis diagnoses; 20% of new diagnoses are in people from specific ethnic minority communities; and young people account for nearly half of all new diagnoses.

A host of potential challenges perpetuate the trends seen in STIs, exacerbated by the lack of national vision around STIs and the impact of funding cuts. Both impact on access in the face of rising demand for sexual health services. The report highlights a need for more up-to-date research and data across STI trends, inequalities, behaviours, access, and stigma. Without this data, we struggle to identify clearly why we are seeing these trends.

There are some successes. The HPV vaccine has seen major decreases in genital warts among women, and with the expansion of this programme to boys and men who have sex with men, the success is likely to continue. This success can point to what’s missing in other areas of STI prevention.

The report makes several recommendations, including the timely delivery of a cross-system and fully funded national sexual health strategy. While the government has committed to this, the question remains on what the process and timeline for the strategy will be.

But what can those working in the health and, in particular, the sexual health sector do?

To address inequalities in sexual health, the sector needs to ensure the co-production of future research and policies, and look at the broader context in which STIs occur. Recognising the social determinants of health, we need to question why people from marginalised groups experience worse burdens of STIs, and what we can do about it.

By empowering the voices of sexual health community champions, we can tackle STI stigma and encourage a change in knowledge, perceptions and actions, as well as the visibility of STIs. As a sector, we can help encourage conversations, positive messaging and stigma busting that can positively impact STI outcomes and engage people in services.

The support of strategy and funding is essential. The government needs to recognise and reinforce the important role of sexual health charities, health professionals, and community organisations. It is through such collaboration that we can improve the picture of STIs for the nation.