Number living with HIV has risen nearly 20%
THE number of islanders living with HIV increased by nearly 20% during the first half of this year.
A total of 61 people were living with the virus, up from 52 at the start of the year. Four years ago, there were fewer than 40 people in Guernsey living with HIV.
A freedom of information request revealed that there were five or fewer new cases of HIV diagnosed on the island every year between 2013 and 2023, except in 2021 when there were six new cases and in 2022 when there were seven.
The vast majority of cases are acquired outside the Bailiwick, although some are picked up through local screening programmes for sexually transmitted infections.
The diagnosis, treatment and prognosis of HIV have been transformed since the first cases in the British Isles were recorded more than 40 years ago.
The island’s medical officer of health, Dr Nicola Brink, said health services locally continued to work to remove the stigma and misunderstanding historically associated with HIV.
Dr Brink said that remarkable developments in treatment meant that people living with HIV could manage it as a long-term health condition and expect to have a normal lifespan and a healthy life.
She encouraged people to be aware of the risk of all sexually transmitted illnesses, including HIV, and emphasised the importance of early diagnosis with the appropriate treatment.
People living with HIV can also stop sexual transmission of the virus by taking HIV medication regularly.
Doctors advise it is not possible for someone who has had an undetectable viral load for six months or more to pass on the virus during sex.
‘This is known as “undetectable means untransmittable”,’ said Dr Brink.
‘This has transformed how we think about HIV, as people on successful treatment can be confident that there is no risk of transmission to sexual partners.’
People in Guernsey living with HIV are under the care of the Orchard Centre, the island’s open access sexual health clinic.
