Six months ago, The GUM/HIV Risk Reduction Clinic in Belfast, which provided PrEP, closed due to reorganisation following the coronavirus outbreak.
However, it has now been confirmed that the clinic has no reopening date for the time being. The clinic closed despite a pilot project guaranteeing it funding until March 31, 2021.
Pre-exposure prophylaxis, or PrEP for short, is an anti-retroviral drug taken by people who are HIV-negative. If used consistently, the drug can help to dramatically reduce the risk of acquiring the virus.
Speaking to the Irish News, Green Party councillor Anthony Flynn condemned the silence around the reopening of the clinic, which has meant that 600 users have been “left without support for months and months on