New drive to reduce HIV in the Lothians

Published on Monday 23 February 2009 08:49

COMPLACENT gay men and sun seekers will be the subject of a new drive to reduce rates of HIV in the Lothians.

Edinburgh is an infection hot spot and accounts for around half of the rising number of Scotland's cases. Now the Scottish Government has launched a strategy to improve the situation which will see more resources channelled to awareness, education and early detection.

The report states that the overwhelming majority of new HIV diagnoses are from men who have sex with men, and that most straight people who contract the disease do so overseas.

Health chiefs and charities are concerned about the levels of complacency in the gay community about HIV.

The report recommended that early diagnosis and increased testing – more than a third of people in the Lothians with HIV don't know they have it – is key.

"Early diagnosis allows the patient greater benefit from treatment and offers the chance to act to reduce further transmission," the HIV Proposed Action Plan in Scotland report says.