Do It London: New campaign to prevent HIV transmission
2,100 Londoners thought to unknowingly have the virus
Last updated 19th Sep 2021
A pan-London campaign highlighting the ‘four sure’ proven ways to prevent HIV has launched today.
The Do It London campaign – a collaboration between local authorities in the capital – reminds Londoners that HIV is preventable, that an HIV diagnosis is treatable, and that treatment acts as prevention.
The major advertising burst will see information about HIV prevention posted across the TfL network, on 110 roadside billboards, 80 buses, 300 telephone kiosks and social and digital media.
Despite new diagnoses of HIV in London decreasing by 41% since 2015 (from 2,536 in 2015 to 1,510 in 2019 – the latest available figures), HIV still remains a major public health challenge. Around 37,000 Londoners live with HIV and it is estimated that 2,100 have an undiagnosed HIV infection.
Do It London raises awareness of the methods of preventing HIV to groups most at risk in a determined effort to continue the encouraging recent downtrend in new HIV infections.
The "four sure" methods of the combination prevention approach are:
- HIV testing
- Condom use
- PrEP, a drug to take that prevents infection
- Undetectable - when HIV+ people on medication have an undetectable viral load so can't pass the virus to a sexual partner
Cllr Danny Thorpe, London Councils’ Executive Member for Health & Care, said:
“HIV has never gone away as one of London’s major public health challenges and boroughs are determined to help Londoners protect themselves and each other.
“This campaign is a crucial reminder of the four sure methods of HIV prevention. By raising awareness and supporting Londoners to make healthy choices, we’re confident that London’s new diagnoses will continue to fall.”
Paul Steinberg, Director of the London HIV Prevention Programme, said:
“After a year of predominantly digital marketing during lockdown, we are proud to deliver another phase of high impact advertising across the city – our tenth campaign in six years.
“We want to ensure that our important message about combination HIV prevention reaches Londoners from all walks of life as they go about their business this autumn. That message is straightforward, scientifically proven and easy to understand. London has led the UK in witnessing significant reductions in new HIV diagnoses in London in recent years. But we cannot be complacent, as we continue to focus on our longstanding goal of zero new infections of HIV by 2030.”