BASHH Welcomes Legislative Advancement in Fertility Options for People Living with HIV

23 October 2024 (Last updated: 23 Oct 2024 09:23)

The British Association for Sexual Health and HIV (BASHH) warmly welcomes the Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC) passing of regulations that will facilitate egg and sperm donation from individuals living with HIV to friends, family, and other known partners who are HIV negative. 

Professor Matt Phillips, BASHH President, stated: “Today Parliament and government have embraced scientific evidence and moved swiftly to update fertility legislation around egg and sperm donation. This represents a critical step in breaking down a longstanding legal barrier imposed on individuals living with HIV. Importantly, this legislation affirms the right of those living with HIV to participate fully in reproductive health care, in the manner they choose, reinforcing their options and fostering greater equality.”

Dr Tristan Barber, HIV and Sexual Health Consultant and BASHH representative to the Gamete Advisory Committee to the Advisory Committee on the Safety of Blood, Tissue and Organs (SaBTO), said: “Today marks transformative progress for people living with HIV. I want to highlight the dedicated efforts of members of the Gamete Advisory Group to SaBTO, but first and foremost to the people with HIV, advocates, and campaigners who have worked tirelessly to put this issue under the spotlight and demonstrate that the law as it stood was not backed by science. It is particularly encouraging to see cross-party agreement on this matter, demonstrating a collective commitment to address inequalities in reproductive choice, and reiterate that treatment stops HIV from being passed on.”