Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 5:02 pm on 2 October 2018.
Thank you for the two questions. In the early part of my statement, I did try to outline that every integrated sexual health clinic in Wales has been providing PrEP from the outset of the trial, which is good news, because, when we initially spoke in May, that was before the trial had begun. So, actually, within the period of time, the lead-in time, every integrated sexual health clinic has been providing PrEP. So, the postcode challenge that we were concerned about, as far as PrEP is concerned, hasn't taken place, so it has been available to every citizen who it's been appropriate for, and so they've had access. I'll happily make sure that we continue to monitor that it is genuinely available in every part of the country and every citizen who could and should access PrEP is able to do so.
On your final point, though, about those people that have fallen out, it is an important point. It's part of the challenge about wanting to make sure that we talk about this as a normal part of health services, because there's still a stigma. There's still a challenge about people engaging in services and recognising it's actually in their interests—not just in the Government's interests or the health service's interests, but in their interests—and there isn't a cap on numbers in the way that there is across the border, and to make sure that all those people who could benefit do. And, actually, it's part of the study that's being undertaken by both Cardiff University and Public Health Wales, the research on attitudes to PrEP, because there is, if you like, the technical pathway about how to try and treat people, but it's actually the support around that to make sure that people actually are taking advantage of and fully complying with the treatment regime to actually have the full benefit of it. And, as we've seen, we are getting to the highest risk group of people, because of the levels of other sexually transmitted infections that are within this group of people. So, it does show it's making the right health gain, dealing with the right people, and that is actually providing a benefit to the wider public.