“Language matters”: DVLA finally updates guidance for people living with HIV
The DVLA has updated its guidance for people living with HIV to ensure it doesn’t include outdated language that perpetuates stigma.
WORDS BY CONOR CLARK HEADER BY YOSEF PHELAN The Driver and Vehicle Licencing Agency (DVLA) has finally updated its guidance for people living with HIV to reflect the huge medical advances that have been made in recent decades.
The changes, which were published on 15 January, have been described as an “important step” in removing “unnecessary barriers affecting people living with HIV” in the UK.
Terrence Higgins Trust, the country’s leading sexual health charity, and the British HIV Association (BHIVA), an organisation of healthcare professionals interested in the treatment and care of people with HIV, worked collaboratively with the DVLA to ensure the updated guidance reflects the reality of having HIV in 2024 and does not perpetuate stigma and discrimination through outdated terminology.
