Press releases September, 2011

Sep 20 2011

NAT Welcomes Time to Test for HIV

NAT has welcomed the Health Protection Agency’s final report published today on expanding HIV testing in England.  The report confirms for the first time that routine ‘opt-out’ HIV testing is “feasible, acceptable and effective” in a wide range of healthcare and community settings. 

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Sep 08 2011

HIV charities welcome the lifting of lifetime ban on gay men donating blood

The Government announced today that the rules on gay men* donating blood will change from a lifetime ban to a 12 month deferral period.  This decision follows a review of the current policies around exclusion and deferral from blood donation by the Advisory Committee on the Safety of Blood, Tissues and Organs (SaBTO).  

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Sep 06 2011

Fluctuating symptoms of HIV Report

NAT has launched a new report, ‘Fluctuating symptoms of HIV’, which looks at the symptoms experienced by people living with HIV – how they fluctuate over time and how this impacts their daily life.  The report, based on an anonymous survey of people living with HIV, shows how fluctuating symptoms are a cause of real distress and place barriers on work, daily living and social participation. Read the full article
Sep 01 2011

NAT welcomes recommendations within House of Lords' report on HIV

30 years after the first known case of HIV, the House of Lords' report ‘No vaccine, no cure: HIV and AIDS in the United Kingdom’ is an important milestone in the UK's response to HIV.   Read the full article
Sep 01 2011

NAT respond to new HIV statistics from HPA

Deborah Jack, Chief Executive of NAT (National AIDS Trust), comments:

‘The figures show a worrying increase in diagnoses of heterosexuals infected with HIV in the UK, so it is crucial for us to step up our efforts on public education and awareness to tackle this.  This is important not just among African communities who have high rates of HIV, but among the public more generally. Read the full article