Ending HIV Transmission in Scotland by 2030 - elimination delivery plan 2023-2026: island communities impact assessment

3. Consultation

A full Island Communities Impact Assessment is not considered relevant for this programme of work and therefore consultation for this specific purpose will not be carried out. However island communities have been considered in the development of the HIV Transmission Elimination (HIVTE) Delivery Plan, and in establishing specific actions such as expanding access to HIV Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (HIV PrEP) and developing a national HIV anti-stigma campaign.

As part of work undertaken by a dedicated short life HIV Transmission Elimination Oversight Group (HiTEOG) a workshop on expanding access to HIV PrEP was held in March 2023, co-chaired by Mr Grant Sugden, CEO of Waverley Care, Scotland’s leading HIV & Hepatitis C charity, and Prof Claudia Estcourt, a clinical academic in Sexual Health & HIV at Glasgow Caledonian University & NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde. During this workshop, issues such as equity of access to HIV PrEP for remote and island communities were considered.^[3]

The development of the national anti-sigma marketing campaign – funded by Scottish Government with commissioning led by the Terrence Higgins Trust - included a focus on the experiences of PLWHIV in rural areas. It was recognised that PLWHIV in such areas may experience feelings of isolation, have lesser access to sexual health and HIV support services, and experience stigma due to perceived conservatism and lack of knowledge about HIV in rural communities^[4].