HIV on the up in London?

[tj87]

I just got a text message from a clinic in central London reminding me to restart PreP and warning that they were diagnosing more people with HIV because they'd stopped using the medication over lockdown.

[concerned1]

Do you mean people haven't been able to access PrEP during lockdown and have become HIV positive as a result?

If so, that is a tragedy that would not surprise me.

I started on the PrEP Impact Trial back in January 2019 and used to get my PrEP from Mortimer Market Centre clinic near Warren Street in central London. It is the busiest sexual health clinic in the UK and I think I read somewhere in the whole of Europe, and they have a lot of PrEP. But during the pandemic and the lockdowns, they have not been giving out PrEP!!?? Apparently, they've taken the view that people shouldn't be meeting up during the pandemic and during lockdowns, and aren't not giving their PrEP out.

So I've not been getting my PrEP, but I haven't been hooking up with guys since I've been unable to get hold of any PrEP. I've not been able to get hold of any PrEP since the Impact Trial finished last year which I think was during the first lockdown, I'm really annoyed, will I still be able to get PrEP? 

[pigpozdad]

Guys are using masks, and fkg face down ass up, but less and less they're using meds (PrEP or HIV meds)

[tj87]

6 hours ago, concerned1 said:

Do you mean people haven't been able to access PrEP during lockdown and have become HIV positive as a result?

If so, that is a tragedy that would not surprise me.

I started on the PrEP Impact Trial back in January 2019 and used to get my PrEP from Mortimer Market Centre clinic near Warren Street in central London. It is the busiest sexual health clinic in the UK and I think I read somewhere in the whole of Europe, and they have a lot of PrEP. But during the pandemic and the lockdowns, they have not been giving out PrEP!!?? Apparently, they've taken the view that people shouldn't be meeting up during the pandemic and during lockdowns, and aren't not giving their PrEP out.

So I've not been getting my PrEP, but I haven't been hooking up with guys since I've been unable to get hold of any PrEP. I've not been able to get hold of any PrEP since the Impact Trial finished last year which I think was during the first lockdown, I'm really annoyed, will I still be able to get PrEP? 

The reason cases were rising is because people stopped taking their prep during lockdown 1 and then got out of the habit.

PreP is now available on the NHS (has been since last April) and you should be able to ask for it from your GP but I’ve not actually tested this as I’ve still got loads left.

[tj87]

Did some research on this this morning and you don't ask your GP for it, your local sexual health clinic will provide it.

[Guest]

Well that would have been great when I was taking prep but now I took so many loads after stopping prep. Plus It’s messy to go to the clinic were i live