A new campaign has been launched to raise awareness about a free pill that protects against HIV.
Solent NHS Trust Sexual Health Service is working with the Terrence Higgins Trust.
The campaign coincides with National HIV Testing Week, when anyone who is sexually active is encouraged to order a free HIV test kit to do at home or visit their local sexual health clinic.
There were 107 people newly diagnosed with HIV in Southampton, Portsmouth and Hampshire in 2019.
It's hoped greater awareness of how to prevent HIV will help to lower the rates of people contracting HIV.
The free pill, available on the NHS, is known as PrEP. This stands for PRe-Exposure Prophylaxis.
The pill is taken by HIV negative people and is highly effective in protecting against the virus entering the body.
Debbie Zimmerman, Head of Service at Solent NHS Trust Sexual Health, said: "We’re serious about tackling HIV rates locally and that’s why we want as many people as possible to know about the benefits of PrEP for protecting against HIV. The campaign aims to get people in the area talking about PrEP and finding out more at our local sexual health clinics."
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