Health

Health service warns of ‘significant unmet need’ in HIV drug access

Stigma around HIV ‘still a big challenge’, says senior HSE clinician as 39% of those newly found to have it were late-stage diagnoses

Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) has been shown to reduce the risk of HIV infection by up to 92 per cent. Photograph: iStock
Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) has been shown to reduce the risk of HIV infection by up to 92 per cent. Photograph: iStock
Shauna Bowers
Tue Jan 14 2025 - 16:58

There is “significant unmet need” in the accessibility of medication that prevents the spread of HIV, the Health Service Executive’s (HSE) clinical lead for sexual health has said.

On Tuesday the HSE began an awareness campaign which seeks to address misconceptions around HIV and help reduce the stigma experienced by people living with it.

Prof Fiona Lyons, national clinical lead of the HSE Sexual Health Programme, said the uptake of PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis) to protect against HIV has been excellent.

PrEP is medicine for people at risk of getting HIV through sex or injection-drug use; it has been shown to reduce the risk of HIV infection by up to 92 per cent.

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The drug is given free by the HSE to certain groups. It can also be bought through community pharmacies with a prescription.

[ Aoife was diagnosed with HIV in Australia in 2020: ‘He was unknowingly positive. We had no idea’ ]

“We estimate we have about 7,000 people on PrEP at the minute but we know that we have a significant unmet need, in that not everybody who wants to be on PrEP is able to access PrEP,” Prof Lyons said.

“There are a number of things we are doing to increase access, including a PrEP e-learning programme we launched just before Christmas to increase the number of providers. We have about 50 GPs who are waiting to do that learning. We’re hoping that will increase access.

Prof Fiona Lyons (centre), along with Pat Commins, Aoife Commins, Dr Robbie Lawlor and Enda McGrattan, aka Veda Lady, at the launch on Tuesday of the You, Me and HIV campaign, designed to address misconceptions around HIV. The campaign was developed by the HSE in collaboration with people living with HIV and community and voluntary groups. Photograph: Stephen Collins/Collins Photos
Prof Fiona Lyons (centre), along with Pat Commins, Aoife Commins, Dr Robbie Lawlor and Enda McGrattan, aka Veda Lady, at the launch on Tuesday of the You, Me and HIV campaign, designed to address misconceptions around HIV. The campaign was developed by the HSE in collaboration with people living with HIV and community and voluntary groups. Photograph: Stephen Collins/Collins Photos

“And through the national service plan 2025, we did get a small increase of funding to increase access to PrEP, particularly in Dublin where the need appears to be most acute.”

Figures provided in response to a parliamentary question in September showed that about 1,000 people were on a waiting list in one Dublin clinic for the drug.

Prof Lyons said it is envisaged that the increase in PrEP funding in Dublin will be a stepping stone to wider accessibility elsewhere.

The most recent figures from the Health Protection Surveillance Centre, from 2023, revelead a decrease in the number of HIV diagnoses in Ireland. This does not include those who were diagnosed with HIV outside Ireland and who then moved here.

Of those first-time diagnoses, around 39 per cent were late stage.

“A significant proportion had evidence that virus had done a job at damaging the immune system by the time they were diagnosed. We call this late diagnoses. Stigma plays a part in relation to individuals potentially being fearful of having a HIV test,” said Prof Lyons.

“We need to make sure they live well with HIV. It’s not just about survival; it’s about a good life free of stigma. Unfortunately stigma is still a really big challenge.”

Shauna Bowers

Shauna Bowers

Shauna Bowers is Health Correspondent of The Irish Times