Volunteer for us! Find out more about what a it means to volunteer for HIV Scotland. At any given time HIV Scotland has a number of volunteers and interns working on a range of different projects. Expand We are a small organisation, working on a range of issues and topics that can have a real impact on the lives of people living with or at risk of HIV in Scotland. We offer volunteers the chance to get involved, to learn new skills, and be part of our team. If you are interested in volunteering for HIV Scotland, please fill out our volunteer application form below. Volunteer Application Form
National Patient Survey Expand The National Patient Survey is a peer-led project that aims to deliver innovative solutions for services to meet the needs of people living with HIV. Through peer-to-peer interviews, the project will highlight the unmet needs to improve access to treatment, care, and support to ensure well-being and health. We want to make sure that people living with HIV are put front and centre when it comes to their treatment and care, and only by conducting interviews and surveys can we properly assess their needs and improve services. Find out more about the National Patient Survey
Fast-Track Cities Expand Our ambition is to turn Scotland into a Fast-Track Country by getting all seven cities signed up to the global Fast-Track Cities Initiative. We will work with local city leaders across the country to develop plans to ensure that each of Scotland’s cities is working toward the goal of 90-90-90 (90% of all people living with HIV knowing their HIV status, 90% of all people with diagnosed HIV infection receiving sustained antiretroviral therapy, 90% of all people receiving antiretroviral therapy having viral suppression), zero HIV-related deaths, and zero HIV-related stigma.
HIV Ageing Project Expand The Living Well: 50+ project aims to ensure that older people living with HIV have access to the highest attainable standard of health and well-being. As more and more people are living longer and living well with HIV, it is important that all health and social services are well informed and equipped to ensure the best quality of life for older people living with HIV. To play our part, this project will deliver innovative and forward-thinking solutions to the challenges older people living with HIV are experiencing. Access the Ageing with HIV content library
Cross-Party Group Expand The Scottish Parliament’s Cross Party Group on Sexual Health and Blood-Borne Viruses brings together an entire cross-section of the wider sector and people living with and affected by HIV and Hepatitis C and connects them with parliamentarians to highlight key and emerging policy issues. As a result of the Cross Party Group, for which HIV Scotland acts as the Secretariat, written parliamentary questions are put to the government on behalf of attendees, and we ensure that the government is living up to its responsibilities when it comes to sexual health and blood-borne viruses. Find out more about the Cross Party Group
Advisory Networks Expand Since 2016 HIV Scotland’s Community Advisory Network has brought together patient advocates from across Scotland, representing the full diversity of people living with HIV. The network aims to ensure that our work is grounded in the lived experiences of people living with and affected by HIV. Only by listening to the people that are affected by our work can we ensure that it remains relevant and meaningful. As of 2020, we have introduced 2 new Advisory Networks: The Women's Advisory Network and the PrEP Advisory Network. The Women’s Advisory network (WAN) is for those that identify as a woman and non-binary people that are happier accessing women’s services living with HIV in Scotland. The PrEP Advisory Network is for anyone currently on, interested in or wanting to talk about PrEP.. The larger the network, the louder the voices and stronger the messages. Want to join an Advisory Network? For the Community Advisory Network click here. For the Women's Advisory Network click here. For the PrEP Advisory Network click here. This project is funded by:
Positive Person’s Forum Expand The Positive Person’s Forum will bring together people living with HIV to develop a Manifesto for Change which will highlight their top priorities, and will also bring together what they need to be able to live long, healthy, and fulfilling lives. HIV Scotland will support local advocates in campaigning for changes based on this manifesto, whether that be at the local or national level.
Public Awareness Campaigning Expand HIV Scotland wants a Scotland that is free of HIV-related stigma, and to that end, we will embark on an extensive public awareness campaign to busy myths surrounding HIV and inform and educate the general public, including work with schools to educate young people. Tackling stigma is a two-pronged approach: lobbying governments both national and local for policy change, and informing young people about the realities of living with HIV in the modern world. HIV Scotland will do both to help eradicate HIV-related stigma once and for all.
Primary Care Champions Expand Primary Care Champions is an innovative project designed to build the capacity and skills of primary care nurses and GPs to undertake effective and efficient HIV testing which is free from stigma and discrimination, with the ultimate aim of reducing late diagnosis and minimising the risk of individuals with undiagnosed HIV. Stigma and discrimination are two of the main barriers to testing, and we want to make sure that people are allowed to access testing barrier-free. Find out more about the HIV Testing in Primary Care project
Scotland’s SHBBV Conference Expand Sex, Drugs & Scotland's Health is a brand new, biennial conference taking place in 2020. Organised by a cross-sector partnership, this conference will be used to highlight new and emerging issues and research, support workforce development, and connect the sector and those working in the Sexual Health and Blood-Borne Viruses sector in Scotland, across the UK, and around the world. For more information and to express your interest in attending, click here.
Creative Activism Expand Building on the work of our book, Disclosures: Rewriting the Narrative About HIV, we will develop spaces for people living with and affected by HIV to take part in creative activism by sharing their stories, both fiction and non-fiction. We believe that a creative outlet can hugely benefit people living with and affected by HIV. Explore our past and current Creative Activism Projects here.
Nathan Sparling, Chief Executive Officer Expand Nathan is responsible for achieving the strategic goals set by the HIV Scotland Board by ensuring the development and delivery of strategies, operations, the team and culture. Nathan lead's HIV Scotland's team to ensure that all our work achieves the best outcomes for people living with and affected by HIV, ensuring they are involved at every step. Previously he worked in the House of Commons where he was a Senior Parliamentary Advisor, covering many social policy issues including pensions and the devolution of social security powers to the Scottish Parliament. He was a prominent campaigner on equal marriage in Scotland, and was a Political Advisor on the Preventing and Combating Violence against Women and Domestic Violence (Ratification of Convention) Act.Email Nathan
Jeffrey Hirono, Policy and Research Lead Expand Jeffrey is responsible for the research that informs the work of HIV Scotland. In particular, Jeffrey explores inequalities that drive negative health behaviours, including HIV-related stigma and the factors which create and reinforce barriers to HIV testing. Jeffrey was the lead author of Scotland's review of the factors associated with HIV testing which identifies interventions aimed at reducing levels of undiagnosed HIV and late diagnosis. Jeffrey also leads work on the quality and consistency of sexual health education, and in developing human rights centred M&E frameworks. Email Jeffrey
Kevin Rowe, Fundraising Lead Expand Kevin has worked for a variety of charities over the past 16 years and joined HIV Scotland as Fundraising Manager in February 2019. His mission is to raise roughly £300,000 per year from a variety of sources to simply continue the work HIV Scotland already do. With his hard work and your generosity, we will make HIV in Scotland a thing of the past. Email Kevin
Angie Spoto, Artist-in-Residence Expand Angie is an American fiction writer and poet. She is working towards a PhD in Creative Writing and has been working with HIV Scotland since 2018. She lead the work on the book 'Disclosures', an anthology about what it means to be HIV positive in Scotland today. Angie brings her creative flair to her role at HIV Scotland. Email Angie
Donations Expand There are currently over 5,000 living with HIV in Scotland today. We need to raise £300,000 per year to continue our work to make #ZeroHIV a reality. Anything you can donate will make a genuine difference & support the work we do, helping us to be there for someone living with HIV. Regular Giving You can do this by clicking the Donate button below & ticking the Regular Donation box. Alternatively, you can set up a Standing Order directly with your bank to pay a fixed amount to HIV Scotland each month (HIV Scotland Business Current Account, Royal Bank of Scotland, Account Number 00619073 Sort Code 831824) or many employers offer a Payroll Giving option to take donations directly from your salary before tax. Please speak to your employer to find out more about this. One-Off Donations Any donation towards these sums will genuinely help us to help others & every penny is appreciated & used wisely. However you decide to give, please ensure you add Gift Aid (see below) if you are a UK taxpayer to increase your donation by 25%. Donate
In Memory Expand Whilst we may want to make HIV history, we must still remember those the virus has taken from us. If you wish to remember a loved one, you can create an In Memory fundraising page here which allows you & your friends & family to donate online. You can also take on a fundraising challenge or event on a special anniversary such as their birthday. Set up a Fundraising Page
Legacies Expand Our legacy will be zero new HIV transmissions, zero HIV-related deaths & zero HIV-related stigma & discrimination in Scotland by 2030. What will yours be? Once you have taken care of your family & loved ones, please consider including HIV Scotland in your Will. By leaving a gift to us, you will help us to support everyone across Scotland affected by HIV, help tackle stigma & discrimination & in time make HIV a thing of the past. Be part of a better tomorrow. For more information on leaving your legacy to HIV Scotland, please contact our Fundraising Manager, Kevin.
Gift Aid Expand We can reclaim 25p from HMRC every time an individual UK Taxpayer donates £1 to our charity at no extra cost to you. This is called Gift Aid - and it's great! It really helps small charities like ours to make the most of your money so please Gift Aid your donations wherever you can. To do this, the donor must: Have paid at least as much in Income Tax/Capital Gains Tax in that tax year as you want to claim in Gift Aid Have completed a Gift Aid declaration that allows us to reclaim it Complete a Gift Aid Declaration Form online Printable Gift Aid Declaration Form Every time you donate, please remember to include Gift Aid. For more information, contact our Fundraising Manager, Kevin.
PrEP made available on the NHS in Scotland Expand HIV Scotland were the lead advocates for the addition of PrEP to HIV prevention options in Scotland. We consistently raised awareness of PrEP amongst community and clinical organisations working in sexual health in Scotland and helped to facilitate early discussions around PrEP amongst key stakeholders. We unpacked the highly complex policy and regulatory processes necessary to make PrEP available and communicated this regularly and clearly with all key clinical, policy and community stakeholders to ensure that everyone could take part. HIV Scotland also coordinated with wider UK community colleagues, including the National AIDS Trust and PrEPster, in advocating for PrEP, comparing strategies and sharing lessons learned. For our significant contributions to this field we were nominated by our peers for the 2017 BMA MEDFASH prize for improving the quality of HIV and sexual healthcare in the UK, and we were awarded the Cracking Campaign of the Year Award at the SCVO Charity Awards 2018 for PrEP in Scotland.
What is HIV? Expand HIV stands for Human Immunodeficiency Virus. HIV is a virus that affects the body’s immune system. Over time, and without effective treatment, it weakens the immune system leaving the person who has HIV open to other infections. HIV is no longer considered a terminal illness as advances in treatments mean it is possible to live a long and healthy life with HIV.
What is AIDS? Expand AIDS stands for Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome. A person living with HIV is said to have AIDS if their immune system becomes weakened by HIV to a severe extent where it causes a number of specific illnesses, for example Kaposi sarcoma or recurrent pneumonia. With correct treatment it’s possible to recover from having AIDS, which means the physical illnesses have gone away although the person will still have HIV.In the 1980s and early 1990s before treatments were available the term AIDS was used frequently. The effectiveness of treatments means that very few people living with HIV go on to develop AIDS in Scotland anymore.
Is there a cure for HIV? Expand No, there is no cure for HIV. However, treatment is available to prevent viral replication which helps minimise viral damage and the chances of transmission. People who are on HIV treatments can live full, healthy and active lives. If diagnosed early and with the right treatment someone living with HIV can have the same healthy life expectancy as someone who does not have HIV. If a person with HIV is on treatment and undetectable then they do not pass HIV on. There have been three people in the world effectively cured of HIV, or entered long-term remission with no continuing treatment. This followed extremely invasive stem-cell transplants which were undertaken to treat cancer. This is not a scalable option to cure HIV in the general population due to the risks involved, and the limited number of donors with the appropriate cells which appear to be resistant to HIV.