The Public Health Agency (PHA) is encouraging attendees of the Belfast Pride Festival to prioritise their sexual health and take advantage of free vaccination offers.

The 'Take PRIDE' campaign, running during the festival, aims to promote open conversations about sexual health, including STI testing and vaccination eligibility.

According to Frances Dowds, Health and Social Wellbeing Improvement Manager at the PHA, open communication with partners, consistent condom use, and vaccination are fundamental to supporting positive physical and mental health. She also highlighted that early diagnosis of HIV, and subsequent treatment, means a person on medication cannot pass the virus to a sexual partner.

A team of healthcare professionals from the PHA and vaccinators from the South Eastern Health and Social Care Trust will be at Pride village in Custom House Square on Saturday, 26 July. They will be offering free HPV and mpox vaccinations to eligible individuals. Rachel Spiers, Immunisation and Vaccination Programme Manager at the PHA, strongly encouraged those attending Belfast Pride to get vaccinated. The HPV vaccine is available to gay, bisexual, or other men who have sex with men up to the age of 45, as they are at a higher risk of certain cancers and genital warts. The mpox vaccine, which helps protect against a virus still in circulation, is particularly beneficial for men who have multiple male sexual partners.

Free and confidential home testing kits for HIV and other STIs for people without symptoms are available from www.sh24.org.uk. Those experiencing symptoms are advised to contact their local GUM clinic or GP. Further information on sexual health and clinic locations is available on www.sexualhealthni.info and www.nidirect.gov.uk/articles/sexual-health.