LIVERPOOL HIV TESTING WEEK 2025
Every year Liverpool dedicates a week to testing for HIV and STIs in the lead-up to World AIDS Day (1 December) Throughout the week BHA Liverpool, along with the PaSH in Liverpool Partnership, increased access to testing by hosting several community events across Liverpool and also engaged in a social media campaign to encourage people to be proactive about their sexual health.
st The aim of the week long campaign is to encourage as many people as possible to test, to dismantle HIV stigma and make meaningful strides towards our commitment to ending all new cases of HIV by 2030
In the two weeks leading up to Liverpool Testing Week BHA, along with the PaSH in Liverpool partnership, launched the Sort HIV social media campaign The campaign raised awareness of HIV, Hepatitis and Syphilis using the ‘Test’, ‘Treat’, ‘Manage’, and ‘Prevent’ messaging Staff members from across the PaSH partnership each created videos discussing different topics and explaining how people can protect and prevent HIV and BBVs The campaign followed a natural style of talking to camera for 30 seconds, allowing for stronger personal engagement with viewers
WORLD AIDS DAY 2025
For this year ’ s World AIDS Day BHA Liverpool, along with the PaSH in Liverpool partnership, organised a stall at Liverpool Lime Street train station We offered testing, sexual health resources and support We celebrate World AIDS Day on the 1 December every year as an opportunity to remember the people we have lost to HIV. It also drives us to continue our work in reducing HIV stigma, discrimination and raise awareness of HIV activism in Liverpool.
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HIV Action Plan
The government has released a new HIV action plan to end new transmissions by 2030.
The latest data shows that HIV diagnoses in minoritised ethnic communities are still rising.
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The plan states that community-led approaches are essential to ending HIV. BHA has embodied this approach from the beginning and we will continue to push towards the goals set out in the action plan.
BREAK THE TABOO: HIV & ANAL HEALTH
PREP INCLUSIVE SERVICES & PATHWAYS CANCER AWARENESS
BHA is proud to be leading the Community Workstream, alongside Terrence Higgins Trust (THT), to increase access to PrEP through existing care pathways while exploring new routes tailored to communities who are currently underserved
In Liverpool, this work brings together four organisations that support ethnically minoritised women: IGBO Women Association, Liverpool Sisterhood Network, Blackburne House, and Afloat Theatre Together with BHA, these groups are co‐designing culturally appropriate pathways to improve PrEP awareness and uptake among women from ethnic minoritised communities.
The insights and solutions will contribute to ensuring that PrEP information and services become more inclusive and accessible
During this quarter, BHA for Equality hosted a group session at Alive Believers Church and Community Centre, engaging with participants from Black African backgrounds The discussion focused on prostate cancer, where attendees shared their knowledge and personal experiences. We explored barriers to accessing care and support and identified strategies to improve early detection and treatment
In addition, BHA connected with Black-owned businesses, including barber shops and restaurants, to raise awareness on breast and prostate cancer. We provided educational resources for shop owners to share with their customers
Our outreach also extended to students in Liverpool at the Guild of Students and True Student residences These sessions aimed to equip students with practical knowledge on how to check for early signs of breast cancer.
BHA HISTORY & BLACK HISTORY MONTH
This year ’ s Black History Month theme was Standing Firm in Power and Pride. This coincided with BHA for Equality’s 35 anniversary which was the perfect opportunity to share stories of our own history from staff members across BHA, allowing us to stand firm in our power and pride in what we have accomplished.
We developed a social media campaign highlighting incredible individuals that make up the fabric of our organisation and make us proud and powerful in all that we do. We spotlighted team members from our CEO to our outreach workers and everyone in between, each sharing a story of pride and power. Some have been on this journey with us for 30 years, others just a few years, ALL essential pieces in our collective history and collective mission.
WHAT’S COMING
NATIONAL HIV TESTING WEEK 2026
From the 9 - 15 February BHA Liverpool will be partaking in NHTW th th An annual event to promote regular testing across England
From the 9 - 14 March is PrEP awareness week which is an annual event to promote uptake of PrEP across Liverpool. th
Partnering with Let’s Talk Today, we will be organising group sessions to offer tailored sexual health information and services to refugees and asylum seekers.