Report exposes challenges facing young people living with HIV

A new report from the National AIDS Trust has urged UK governments to step up action for young people living with HIV, warning that many are facing poorer life satisfaction, heightened mental health needs and significant barriers to care.

The report, Supporting the Next Generation: improving the quality of life of young adults living with HIV, was developed in partnership with young people themselves and argues that their needs must be prioritised if the UK is to meet its goal of ending new HIV transmissions by 2030. It will be launched today, Tuesday, 3 March, alongside Protecting your rights, a new legal rights toolkit designed to help young people living with HIV understand and assert their rights in healthcare, education, employment and other settings.

National AIDS Trust states that young adults living with HIV face a distinct and interconnected set of challenges that demand targeted government responses. Many reported experiences of stigma, discrimination and inconsistent care, including being expected to educate their own GPs, having their HIV status mishandled by healthcare professionals, and discovering that vital medical information was not automatically shared within the NHS. One young person said they had witnessed a friend’s HIV status being disclosed “across the room by the nurse”, while another described being asked “potentially intrusive questions” by their GP.

"We are taking steps to help platform young voices in the HIV community.”

The report highlights that young adults aged 18 to 34 report the lowest satisfaction with their HIV care compared with any other age group. Some 44 per cent have a diagnosed mental health condition, and many face significantly greater barriers to accessing the care and support they need. National AIDS Trust argues that these outcomes are not an inevitable consequence of living with HIV but are instead the result of gaps in care provision, economic hardship and persistent HIV stigma and discrimination.

To address these issues, the charity is calling for investment in youth‑friendly clinics and support services, expanded education across the NHS and wider public sector to tackle misinformation and stigma, and renewed government strategies to help young people achieve economic stability through housing, employment and education programmes. The report also emphasises the importance of involving young people living with HIV in designing policy solutions, research and performance measures.

Oluwakemi Agunbiade, Senior Research & Policy Officer at National AIDS Trust, said the progress made in HIV policy has always relied on people knowing and fighting for their rights. “Whilst we work to address the systemic barriers that leave young people living with HIV vulnerable, we will also strive to equip young people with knowledge of their rights to challenge HIV stigma and discrimination,” she said. “By publishing this briefing to help build a better future for young people living with HIV, and a toolkit for young people to apply their rights, we are taking steps to help platform young voices in the HIV community.”

The charity warns that achieving the UK’s 2030 ambition will require a renewed focus on the wellbeing of people already living with HIV, including young adults who continue to encounter profound obstacles to living well. Without sustained investment, strengthened protections against discrimination and a more holistic approach to mental, physical and social health, National AIDS Trust argues that the next generation risks being left behind.