Due to government regulations some people living with HIV in the UK are not able to access free HIV treatment and care, because of their residency status. Failed asylum seekers, people who have overstayed their visas and other undocumented migrants are denied access to free HIV treatment and care from the NHS and are charged thousands of pounds a year to receive life-saving treatment, which most can't afford.
The National AIDS Trust believes that charging people living with HIV for treatment and care is inhumane, a danger to public health and a breach of human rights. We are campaigning for everyone living with HIV in the UK to have access to free treatment, regardless of their residency status.
Show your support for the campaign by signing our petition to the prime minister.
The National AIDS Trust is part of the Sex Education Forum, which is campaigning to make comprehensive sex and relationships education (SRE) a compulsory part of the school curriculum.
At the moment, schools only have to teach the biological side of sex, contraception and sexually transmitted infections (STIs), including HIV. This means that many people leave school without receiving adequate education about relationships, including same-sex relationships, and how they can protect themselves from HIV and STIs when having sex. In a survey for the UK Youth Parliament, 40 per cent of young people responding said the SRE they received was poor or very poor.
If you agree that sex and relationships education should be made a compulsory part of the curriculum, write to your local MP to let them know your views and ask them to support the campaign. Find out details of your local MP.
What your MP needs to know:
- Many young people currently don't receive adequate sex and relationships education in schools.
- Schools are currently only required to teach the biological aspect of sex, contraception and sexually transmitted infections and these are often only covered in science lessons.
- Focusing on the biological aspect means young people may miss out on learning about sexuality, relationships, choice, delay, safer sex, risks and pregnancy choices, the very things that will actually help them in the future.
- Teachers delivering sex and relationships education at the moment may not have the skills and resources to cover it properly or know how to deal with difficult questions.
- Without comprehensive sex and relationships education young people may:
- become sexually active before they are ready and before they can enjoy it or take responsibility for themselves or their partners
- find themselves unprepared for and have unrealistic expectations of sexual relationships, often lacking the skills to communicate and negotiate with partners on topics such as condom use
- become involved in inappropriate or coercive relationships and sexual activity
- be unaware of the services and help available to them
- not know they are at risk of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) or how to avoid them, which can lead to potential future complications such as infertility
- Ask your MP to support the campaign for comprehensive sex and relationships education (SRE) to be made a compulsory part of the national curriculum
For more information and to express their support, ask your MP to contact the Sex Education Forum on sexedforum@ncb.org.uk.
By speaking out, you can make a difference.
