Largest Ever UK Conference of People Living with HIV

Main Category: HIV / AIDS
Article Date: 04 Sep 2004 - 11:00 PDT

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On 4 -7 September over 400 people will attend the largest ever, national conference of people living with HIV and AIDS. The conference, organised by four HIV charities will bring together people living with HIV and health professionals.

It aims to foster leadership among people living with HIV, improve peoples' skills in managing their healthcare, employment, education, legal and financial affairs and create an opportunity for improved support networks.

The conference will also hold seminars and workshops to debate current issues for people living with HIV, such as patient and public involvement in the NHS, employment and criminalisation of HIV transmission.

Changing Tomorrow: Am I Doing Something? will be held at the University of Leicester, September 4-7.

UK HIV and AIDS facts

-- 50,000 people in the UK live with HIV but one third of people with HIV are not aware they are infected, which has serious implications for public health.

-- There were almost 7000 new HIV diagnoses in 2003.

-- The majority of people living with HIV in the UK are gay men.

-- The majority of newly diagnosed HIV infections are among heterosexual people from African communities.

-- Access to anti-retroviral treatments means that for many people in the UK, HIV is now largely a long-term medical condition, although there is still no cure available.

-- Over-stretched and under funded sexual health services in the UK are causing long waits for HIV tests and treatments

-- Continuing stigma and prejudice means that the voices of people living with HIV are rarely heard and many people do not come forward for testing and treatment.

The conference is organised by the UK Coalition of People Living with HIV and AIDS, Positively Women, the National Long Term Survivors Group and the National AIDS Trust.

National AIDS Trust, UK