Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 4:21 pm on 14 June 2022.
Diolch to the Minister for today's statement. Having worked closely with the Terrence Higgins Trust and Fast Track Cardiff & Vale, I know that today's statement is welcome news to all the charities and organisations who have pulled together to help create the HIV action plan. Access to data when it comes to HIV and STIs in Wales is really very difficult and needs improving. A new data surveillance system is desperately needed. From the figures I was able to obtain, there are approximately 2,800 people living in Wales accessing care for HIV, and, in 2021, 1,303 people were prescribed PrEP through NHS services. Ninety-nine per cent of those receiving PrEP are men, which is fantastic and has been a real game-changer. But my anxiety is that this isn't on the radar of the majority of women in Wales. We have a real opportunity to create a culture where women feature front and centre in team Wales's response to HIV, where we are offering HIV tests on a routine basis to women, where no woman leaves a sexual health clinic without being given the choice of a HIV test, where all women are aware of the HIV prevention drug PrEP and can make informed decisions about whether it is suitable for them, and where women living with HIV are included in research efforts and supported to have the best quality of life possible. Will the Minister make sure that the HIV action plan works for women also?