3476. Deputy Malcolm Byrne asked the Minister for Health the current campaigns to raise awareness of HIV and AIDS in Ireland and to protect and support those at risk. [60343/26]

The National Sexual Health Strategy, 2025-2035 (NSHS) was published in June, 2025. The Implementation Group and 4 sub-groups have been convened and have met; implementation is underway. Programme for Government and NSHS priorities include HIV prevention, early diagnosis, treatment and supporting people living with HIV, in addition to information, education and communications. Within that, improving access to HIV Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) and reducing HIV related stigma that may form a barrier to accessing testing and treatment are priorities also.

Work is commencing on developing an HIV Action Plan, to include prevention, prompt diagnosis, treatment and supports for people living with HIV, also including information, education, anti-stigma measures and research, monitoring and surveillance.

Action Plan development has been informed by an initial stakeholder consultation exercise and will receive input from a number of focus groups who will present their findings to the HSE Sexual Health Programme and Department of Health.

Models of Care for sexual health and for HIV are being developed by the HSE Sexual Health Programme and Infectious Diseases Clinical Programme currently. HIV and STI testing are available through a variety of services, including the network of 23 public STI clinics, the free home STI testing service, opt-out antenatal services, emergency departments, student health services, NGOs, drug, homeless and migrant services and primary care. HIV testing is also included within the home STI test kits.

The National Home STI Testing service, launched in 2022, tests for HIV and the most common STIs in the privacy of one’s own home. The scheme has added approximately 33% to national testing capacity. Over 130,000 kits were dispatched in 2025, with more than 10,000 home STI/HIV tests ordered through the service each month.

In Ireland, in accordance with the Infectious Diseases Regulations, there is no charge to an individual for the treatment of HIV. Antiretroviral therapy can be used for HIV prevention by treating those with established infection to ensure that viral loads are undetectable and the virus is therefore untransmissable (Treatment as Prevention, TasP). Service data and research suggest that the UNAIDS target of “90% in receipt of sustained antiretroviral therapy” has been reached and in many instances exceeded. HIV care is currently provided in 9 adult and 2 children’s hospitals.

HIV Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) is the prophylactic administration of antiretroviral drugs to HIV negative people at risk of HIV in order to prevent its transmission. There are currently 14 public PrEP clinics and 47 private/GP providers approved to prescribe free PrEP. A public clinic in Waterford re-opened in August, increasing capacity in the South-East.

PrEP appointments are free of charge within public clinics, however, charges apply for appointments with private providers. PrEP medication is provided free of charge. Since the PrEP programme commenced in 2019, there has been continued growth; just under 11, 500 individuals have commenced PrEP through the HSE PrEP programme since inception, of whom just under 9,500 were accessing the programme in 2025.

The PrEPtimise HRB Evidence for Policy research project is developing a hybrid treatment pathway for PrEP, incorporating face-to-face and online consultations for users. Initial results indicate that hybrid care pathways are suitable for approximately 50% of users and may therefore be very useful in supporting additional clinic capacity.

“You, Me and HIV” - campaign.

This campaign focuses on the message, that a person living with HIV and on effective treatment, cannot pass HIV on to sexual partners. Before the campaign launched, in November 2024, less than three in ten (29%) people were aware of this advancement in HIV treatment.

Now almost 1 in 2 people (48%) are aware of this fact, we hope to grow this awareness further in year two of the campaign. There has also been a notable decline in discriminatory attitudes towards people living with HIV from 54% in November 2024 to 49% at the end of 2025 - a positive trend.

The strength of ‘You, Me and HIV’ is that it has been co-created in close partnership with the HIV community, in particular the Poz Vibe Tribe, the HSE, agencies and supportive community organisations.

More information on HIV and related services is available at:

https://www2.hse.ie/conditions/hiv/

As this is a service matter, I have also asked the HSE to provide a more detailed response to the Deputy, regarding additional information, educational and communications resources, as soon as possible.