Clinic could help curb NI's rising rates of HIV infection
A new NHS clinic dealing with HIV could help 'tackle the rise in new diagnoses of HIV' in Northern Ireland.
The Department of Health said the Belfast-based HIV Prevention Clinic will offer access to the drug PrEP, “which can reduce the risk of contracting HIV in high-risk populations by up to 86%”.
It will also offer a comprehensive process of testing for sexual transmitted infections and “behavioural interventions” aimed at reducing unsafe sex.
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Hide AdIt said in Northern Ireland, about 100 new cases of HIV are diagnosed every year, with the numbers of new diagnoses continue to rise even while they are falling in the rest of the UK. The lifetime treatment costs for one person with HIV is currently about £380,000.