UK military personnel with HIV must be declared fully fit and able to deploy abroad, defense officials said, in a move that removes the latest barrier to the virus service.
As of Tuesday, service personnel receiving HIV treatment and whose blood tests show no detectable virus will now be considered fully fit for all services. The change in policy also applies to anyone wishing to join the army.
The communication follows a decision last year to allow those taking pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) drugs to prevent HIV infection to join the armed forces with immediate effect.
Campaigners welcomed the change, but called for the remaining barriers to the military crew to be removed and for air traffic controllers to be able to take PrEP.
Approving the use of drugs in aviation is a long process due to the potential risk of side effects. A policy allowing the use of PrEP by crews and air traffic controllers was approved in March 2020 and we hope to ratify it next month.
Cdr Lieutenant Olli Brown, who serves in the Navy, said: “As of today, I can consider myself fully fit by the Royal Navy for the first time since I told them about my HIV diagnosis. Being labeled as a limited opportunity to deploy made me doubt myself and my abilities – it affected my mental health. The great thing about this change is knowing that no one else will feel like I did.
“The message is strong and clear – people living with HIV are not limited in any way. I take one pill a day, which makes my HIV undetectable and I can’t pass it on. There is no reason for me or anyone else to be limited to the armed forces, and today’s change reflects that reality. “
Ian Green, CEO of the Terrence Higgins Trust, said: “Forty years since the beginning of the HIV epidemic, this historic change in the rules shows the truly remarkable progress that has been made.
Green called for “ending the last barrier on the ground”, which stopped military pilots and air traffic controllers from adopting PrEP “to protect against the virus”, adding: “This needs to be reviewed and implemented as soon as possible”.
Chief of Defense Lt. Gen. James Swift said: “This welcome change in policy is a recognition of the excellent medical progress that has been made and the hard work of those who have helped bring about that change.
“We will continue to ensure that all our people have the best possible experience, where their health and well-being are a priority, and they can serve with pride and feel valued and supported in the modern armed forces.
The policy will ensure that people living with HIV will be provided with personal medical supplies that will last the entire period of their deployment. If this is lost or damaged, it can be replaced by the same process that already exists for other staff in need of regular medicines.
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