Read on Twitter
1/ My emotions have been all over the place watching #ItsASin. Brilliant TV that lifts a lid on a shameful chapter in our nation's history, where stigma and misinformation was rife. The show has resulted in a record-breaking #HIVTestWeek with a surge in tests being ordered.
2/ The LGBT+ community has always made me feel welcome, ever since I was a teenager. I'm proud to be an ally & proud of @UKLabour record on LGBT+ equality. From scrapping Tories' Section 28 to demanding Gov made the anti-HIV drug PrEP available on NHS. https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/politics/its-sin-should-inspiration-need-23430634
3/ I was proud to play my part and do a HIV test and I'll do one each year if it means just one more person gets tested. 6,700 people are living with HIV in the UK & don't know their status, normalising testing is really important. Anyone can order a free test via @startswith_me
4/ In a single day 8,200 people ordered a HIV test - compared to the previous record of 2,800. I'm pleased @DHSCgovuk will make 10,000 extra free HIV tests available. But free HIV tests should stop being a week-long phenomenon and be a year-long reality. https://twitter.com/THTorguk/status/1357386396818898950
5/ Stigma is still rife in our society and it continues to impact people living with HIV. @MattHancock must listen to this vital issue raised by @JonAshworth. We cannot let stigma prevent people from accessing the life-saving COVID-19 vaccine. https://twitter.com/THTorguk/status/1356616238240260099
6/ We will keep fighting against HIV. That means ensuring no one is left behind. Structural racism & discrimination fuels health inequalities faced by many Black communities impacted by HIV. My friend @BellRibeiroAddy wrote a powerful piece @TheVoiceNews. https://www.voice-online.co.uk/lifestyle/sponsored-lifestyle/2021/02/04/stuck-at-home-test-for-hiv/
7/ I'm determined it will be a @UKLabour government that ends new cases of HIV by 2030 and be the first country to achieve this historic goal. The HIV Commission - @THTorguk @NAT_AIDS_Trust @ejaf - has given us a blueprint to make this happen. https://twitter.com/THTorguk/status/1333730514805600258
8/ In the here and now, the Government must deliver on its promise to publish a HIV Action Plan by the summer. But as @JonAshworth has said, local sexual health services need a serious cash injection now as they've been 'cut to the bone' by the Tories. https://inews.co.uk/opinion/its-a-sin-hiv-tory-budget-cuts-2030-856037
9/ Finally, let's work together to end that stigma. I was proud that my first (& definitely not the last!) @PrideInLondon was marching with @THTorguk, shouting that people on effective HIV treatment #CantPassItOn. Let's keep shouting until everyone knows! https://twitter.com/THTorguk/status/1147477819703906304
