Find out how to get involved in Irish AIDS Day in Galway on June 15th...
Sexual Health West dedicates Irish AIDS Day to those from the West of Ireland who lost their lives to AIDS related illnesses, and their families who remember them today. We look forward to strengthening the resilience of people living with HIV through continued support services.
Sexual Health West chairs the Fast-Track Cities Galway HIV Initiative. Galway has committed to scale up local HIV responses, to achieve zero new HIV infections and zero AIDS related deaths by 2030. Along with key stakeholders and community partners, Sexual Health West is developing an implementation plan for Galway City and County for 2026 onwards.
It is vital that we grow awareness of HIV testing, treatment, and support services across the West of Ireland. Recent data from the HSE Health Protection Surveillance Centre indicates that 41% of first-time diagnoses in 2024 were late-stage HIV infections, meaning the people that received a new diagnosis were quite sick. Sexual Health West emphasizes the importance of prompt, free, and supportive HIV treatment.
The advances in medical treatment have dramatically improved the lives of many people living with HIV. PrEP (Pre Exposure Prophylaxis), has also been shown to be safe and highly effective at preventing HIV. PrEP stops HIV from establishing itself inside the body. When taken correctly PrEP has been found to be about 99% effective. Timely, successful treatment can lead to the same health and life expectancy for people living with HIV as the general population. In addition, successful treatment prevents onward transmission of HIV to sexual partners. This is known as U=U (undetectable = untransmittable), and is an extremely important public health message. Free HIV treatment is available at HSE STI clinics, including University Hospital Galway.
Accessible HIV prevention measures are available across Ireland, including free condoms, STI testing, and treatment. The HSE National Condom Distribution Service (NCDS) continues to distribute free condom and lubricant sachets to sexual health services, third level institutions, public sector organisations and NGOs. Condoms and lubricant are available for free, and can be accessed by anyone from the age of 17 years through a range of clinical services, postal services or community venues.
Additional prevention measures include the roll out of SH:24, the national home STI testing service. This is a free online sexual health service, delivered in partnership with the HSE in Ireland. SH:24 makes it easier for people to get tested for the most common sexually transmitted infections, providing free test kits, information and advice 24 hours a day. It's quick, discreet and confidential. If someone is unable to order free SH:24 test kits, Sexual Health West offers free community-based Rapid HIV & Syphilis testing in community venues across the West of Ireland.
Sexual Health West’s WISER (West of Ireland Sexuality Education Resource) Education Team continues to deliver relationships & sexuality programmes in schools, colleges, third level and in communities across the west of Ireland, ensuring that all have access to education and information regarding their sexual health.
Sexual Health West is delighted to share our book ‘Sex Educated’, answering the many questions asked over the years of teaching RSE in classrooms, giving our WISER team a unique and invaluable insight into the minds of young people; their worries, their curiosities, and fears and what information they are unearthing on the internet. This book meets the needs of young people in Ireland right now, and tells them what they want and need to know with evidence-based, factual, age-appropriate information. ‘Sex Educated’ is available on our website at https://sexualhealthwest.ie/
If you would like to find out more about any of our services or speak to someone at Sexual Health West please call 091 566266 or email info@sexualhealthwest.ie for more information.
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