Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1537666
9 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 20 JULY 2025 FEATURE don't want it to be my identity' 21 July, he sat down with Laura Calleja to share his journey since receiving the diagnosis and to speak months. This confusion, Roberts adds, extends to contraception, which, according to her, the onus "is always put on the pub- lic". She asks: "Where is the in- itiative from the government?" Roberts says that while NGOs and community organisations, including GIU, are doing their best, the activist stresses: "We need leadership at a ministry level to push this through." Comparing Malta's situa- tion to the UK, she notes that self-testing is widely available there. "The UK has support structures. We don't have a sys- tem in place," she notes. Although access to testing has improved and conversations about HIV are more open, stig- ma persists. "Hate speech, stig- ma, a lack of training among healthcare professionals, GPs, pharmacists—it's still there. Many don't understand PrEP or PEP," Roberts says. Fear remains a barrier, Rob- erts says. "People worry: what if I test positive? What happens to my residency? People are fright- ened to even go to hospital." Checkpoint Malta, MGRM and other NGOs in this sphere are also calling on the govern- ment to introduce an opt-out system for HIV testing at Mater Dei Hospital. They argue that this would increase the rate of testing and lead to earlier in- terventions for people who test positive. Health Ministry replies Responding to questions sub- mitted by MaltaToday, the Health Ministry said that the current HIV treatment tender is being renegotiated since the previous one is due to expire. "The new procurement pro- cess is set to include both PrEP and an additional entitlement to free PEP, as was included in the Sexual Health Strategy. This process is underway," a spokesperson said. Asked about the opt-out sys- tem recommended by NGOs, the ministry spokesperson said that "various means to ramp up HIV testing are being con- sidered by a technical working group, including increasing HIV testing opportunities both within and outside of health settings, considering available resources and feasibility of im- plementation." The ministry said that the aim is to provide additional opportunities for HIV testing "in line with the need to meet the accelerated HIV targets for 2030, particularly for key pop- ulations." * The name of the first inter- viewee has been changed to protect his identity. Malta's first HIV rally in 2024 outside Castille (Photo: Emma Grima) Where to get tested? People can book an appointment by emailing testing@ checkpoint.mt. They can also contact the GU Clinic for a test appointment for all STIs, or ask at their pharmacy for a self-test kit. People living with HIV who are seeking community can contact community@checkpoint.mt. Checkpoint Malta spokesperson Jackie Roberts (Photo: Emma Grima)