Stigma towards people living with HIV in care homes is the target of a new training resources for social care staff. The bilingual materials have been created by HIV charity Terrence Higgins Trust, in collaboration with Social Care Wales.
In Welsh and English, the programme aims to raise awareness of medical advances in HIV treatment that mean someone living with HIV on effective treatment can live a long and healthy life and cannot pass the virus on to others.
Over 2,600 people are living with HIV in Wales, with more than half aged 50 or older.
Polling by YouGov this year revealed that 72% of adults in the UK are not aware that people living with HIV on effective medication cannot pass it on. The updated training will share the advances in HIV and help social care staff in Wales provide excellent care to people living with HIV accessing their services.
Find out more about the training for social care.
Richard Angell OBE, Chief Executive of Terrence Higgins Trust, said: ‘We are delighted to have worked with Social Care Wales to develop our Can’t Pass It On training, and to provide a Welsh language option, so that people working in social care from across the country can access this vital resource.
‘People living with HIV who are on effective treatment can’t pass it on to others. This new resource will help to share the facts and enable our brilliant social care staff to confidently provide care for people living with HIV.’
David Pritchard, Director of Regulation at Social Care Wales, said: ‘This new training resource will help equip social care workers in Wales with the knowledge and confidence to support people living with HIV. By challenging outdated myths and promoting understanding of modern HIV treatment, we can continue to create a more inclusive and compassionate care environment for people living with HIV here in Wales.’