2010

  • President Barack Obama’s administration’s official lifting of the HIV travel ban to the USA is finally implemented.
  • A man in Scotland is sentenced to jail for 10 years for infecting his girlfriend with HIV, later reduced to eight years. Twenty-two people were prosecuted for reckless HIV transmission in the previous decade.
  • The Equality Act comes into effect in the U,K making indirect discrimination unlawful and ending employers asking pre-employment health-related questions to people living with HIV.
  • We launch a free sex and relationships guide book for young people, schools and colleges, Everything you need to know about... Relationships.
  • Crusaid, one of the UK’s best known HIV and AIDS charities, merges with Terrence Higgins Trust, preserving the Hardship Fund, a safety net for people with HIV living in poverty. 
  • A Terrence Higgins Trust campaign highlights a new study showing that one in seven men on the gay scene in London has HIV.
  • 50 plus, a new Terrence Higgins Trust study about HIV and ageing, is launched with findings showing that older people with HIV face multiple disadvantages in terms of health and finances. 
  • A new report on poverty and HIV by National AIDS Trust and Terrence Higgins Trust reveals at least one in six people diagnosed with HIV in the UK experienced severe poverty between 2006 and 2009.

2011

  • In January we launch the myHIV website with support from EJAF. Within its first month more than 650 people register for full access to the website, 500 of whom join its online myHIV forum.
  • The first patient cured of HIV, Timothy Ray Brown, is confirmed as having a negative HIV status, years after a bone marrow transplant for leukaemia resulted in him becoming resistant to the virus.
  • 5 June marks the 30th anniversary of the first AIDS cases, then called GRID, being reported.
  • Lisa Power, policy director for Terrence Higgins Trust, receives an MBE from Prince Charles for services to sexual health and to the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community.
  • We run our first ‘Walk for Life’ fundraiser after the merger with Crusaid, raising £100,000 pounds for people living with HIV in poverty.
  • The lifetime ban on gay men donating blood in the UK is lifted after a review by the blood authority involving Terrence Higgins Trust and other HIV and LGBT organisations.

2012

  • We mark the 30th Anniversary of Terry Higgins' death. Messages of support are received from Princes William and Harry.
  • The Department of Health awards Terrence Higgins Trust and partner organisations a contract to prevent HIV infections among men who have sex with men and African communities in England.
  • This year sees the launch of the first National HIV Testing Week for England, and two new guides with health and wellbeing advice for transgender people – the first of their kind in the UK. 
  • We also launch our Back to Work scheme, helping long-term unemployed people living with HIV gain skills and experience to re-enter employment. 
  • THT Direct reduces opening hours due to loss of government funding. The service remains open during weekdays thanks largely to donations. 
  • We complete our TalkSafe project, a three-year Lottery-funded sexual health and emotional well-being project for young Londoners.
  • Following much campaigning by Terrence Higgins Trust and partner organisations, a change in law granting asylum seekers, undocumented migrants and visiting students in England access to HIV treatment for free on the NHS comes into effect.
  • The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approves the first over-the-counter HIV test, allowing Americans to test themselves for HIV in the privacy of their homes. 
  • The FDA announces approval for HIV negative people to take PrEP (using the drug Truvada) to prevent sexual transmission of HIV. 
  • Australia is the first country to offer the HPV vaccine to boys; we continue to campaign on the issue.

2013

  • Sir Nick Partridge steps down as Chief Executive of Terrence Higgins Trust after 28 years of service.
  • We launch It Starts with Me, a new two-year HIV prevention campaign in England. 
  • A new ‘Fits Me’ condom tool is introduced to help people find the best condom for them.
  • Our first HIV home sampling kits pilot in England. 
  • The Confident Families project launches at Terrence Higgins Trust Scotland, providing practical and emotional support to people who are living with or are affected by HIV. 
  • Our lobbying, supported by our members’ campaigning, ensure that HIV diagnosis and chlamydia screening are part of the Public Health Outcomes Framework and therefore priorities for local decision-makers.
  • The British HIV Association (BHIVA) states that successful antiretroviral treatment (ART) used by a person who is HIV positive is as effective as consistent condom use in limiting HIV transmission.
  • The World Health Organisation revises its guidelines to now recommend providing HIV treatment for people with a CD4 count of 500.
  • San Francisco is the first city to report that people over age of 50 living with HIV make up the majority of those living with the virus. 
  • UNAIDS reports that new HIV diagnoses and AIDS-related deaths in sub-Saharan Africa are continuing to decline, with more people receiving treatment.

2014

  • We hold our first ever HIV Prevention England conference, with Public Health Minister Jane Ellison as one of the speakers. 
  • Terrence Higgins Trust secures Big Lottery funding for a number of major projects, including the Health, Wealth and Happiness programme supporting older people living with HIV across five cities, plus the Back to Work and Faith and Communities projects. All the projects will be funded for three years. 
  • We publish our Guide for Delivering Services for Older People, designed to provide professionals with the knowledge and skills to better commission, design and provide appropriate health and social care services. 
  • We launch our HIV and Poverty report, providing insight into the reasons why some people living with HIV are living in poverty. 
  • Home HIV testing is legalised in April. We re-launch our postal testing kits in England. Terrence Higgins Trust Scotland launches the first ever postal testing service in that nation. 
  • Two European PrEP trials report that treatment is effective at preventing HIV transmission to HIV-negative participants. 
  • The PARTNER Study demonstrates the effectiveness of Treatment as Prevention (TAsP), reporting zero transmissions from HIV positive participants on treatment with undetectable viral load to HIV negative partners. 
  • After more than 20 years, the ban on people living with HIV working as dentists, midwives or in other healthcare jobs was lifted by the Government.

2015

  • The first Champions of Change launches in the Midlands, using influential ‘champions’ within Black African communities to tackle HIV stigma. 
  • Following in the footsteps of our successful back to work programme Work Positive, our Sex Workers and New Ambitions Project (SNAP) launches to help participants into alternative work.
  • We use our position at the head of the Pride parade in London to campaign for PrEP availability on the NHS with 'Stop HIV, PrEP Now' banners and launch an accompanying Facebook page. 
  • The World Health Organisation revises its guidelines to recommend HIV positive people are put straight on treatment following diagnosis. The British HIV Association (BHIVA) also issues new guidelines [PDF].
  • We hold our first ever Condom Week to encourage condom use and help gay and bisexual men and Black African people to find the best condom for them using our Fits Me quiz.
  • Our lobbying results in the HPV vaccine being extended to MSM up to the age of 45 in GUM clinics. We continue to campaign for a Quadrivalent vaccine to be given to all boys.
  • Actor Charlie Sheen ‘comes out’ as HIV positive and undetectable in a TV interview. Following widespread coverage and interest, our website has its busiest day of the year.
  • A review of blood donations was announced, which we had been calling on to make sure that the recommendations for maintaining a safe blood supply are up-to-date. This includes a six-month ban for MSM and lifetime bans for sex workers and intravenous drug users.

2016

  • Ian Green is appointed as Chief Executive. 
  • We join other HIV charities and professional bodies, including Metro, National AIDS Trust and BHIVA to protest against proposed cuts to HIV services. This is in response to increasing numbers of local authorities withdrawing funding. 
  • For the first time in the history of London LGBT Pride, HIV and sexual health charities joined forces as United4PrEP to march together in the parade to show unified support for pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) as a game changer for HIV prevention. 
  • Our Health, Wealth and Happiness project hosted a conference in London for the first ever generation growing older with HIV.  
  • Northern Ireland’s lifetime blood donation ban for men who have sex with men is lifted and the government in England announces a review of current blood donation bans for men who have sex with men, former sex workers and people who used to inject drugs.
  • We worked with over 900 young people to launch a report highlighting the poor quality of Sex and Relationships Education young people across the UK receive.
  • We launch a pilot offering nearly 5,000 free HIV self testing kits to gay and bisexual men and Black African people.
  • Prince Harry tested for HIV live on Facebook – causing a surge in the number of people ordering a self test as part of our pilot. The Prince announced he is to make raising awareness of HIV a priority, following in the footsteps of his mother Diana, Princess of Wales.
  • The London boroughs of Lambeth, Lewisham and Southwark cut many of their HIV support services, despite having the highest HIV prevalence in the UK. 
  • NHS England claims it doesn’t have the power to provide PrEP through its specialised commissioning process and that responsibility lies with local authorities.
  • NHS England is taken to court and it is ruled that it does have the legal ability to commission PrEP – a decision which is upheld in the Court of Appeal. 
  • It’s not over – we marked World AIDS Day by acknowledging how far we’ve come in the fight against HIV, but how far we’ve still got to go. Our polling shows that knowledge of HIV hasn’t kept up with medical advances – with 30% of Brits still believing you can contract HIV from sharing a toothbrush with an HIV-positive person.
  • NHS England announces a PrEP trial for 10,000 people.
  • Following pressure from Terrence Higgins Trust and Stonewall Cymru, the Welsh government announces a review of sexual health services in Wales, a new Sexual Health Programme Board to consider the priorities for sexual health in Wales, the establishment of an independent HIV expert group to consider the potential of PrEP, and a new opt-out system for blood-borne viruses (including HIV, hep B and hep C) in prisons in Wales.

2017

  • Jonathan McShane is appointed as the new chair of the board of trustees.
  • We run a second self testing pilot, making nearly 2,000 more free HIV tests available.
  • We launch a new report – Uncharted Territory – into the experiences of people 50 and over living with HIV. The research shows a wealth of different experiences for the first ever generation growing older with HIV, including concerns about money, health and loneliness. Over half of the respondents were living in poverty. 
  • After decades of campaigning, a law is passed to make sex and relationships education compulsory in all schools in England.
  • Men who have sex with men up to the age of 45 become eligible for a free HPV vaccination on the NHS when they visit sexual health clinics in Wales.
  • The lifetime ban on former and current sex workers donating blood is lifted after we push for changes in donation rules, which also include a reduction in the deferral period for gay and bisexual men to three months.
  • Ahead of the General Election, we join forces with 20 other organisations to launch an HIV manifesto, calling on the UK Government to stand with people affected by HIV. We then welcome the subsequent commitments in the party manifestos on various HIV issues.
  • We invite women affected by HIV to tell us their experiences as we launch the year-long Women and HIV: Invisible No Longer project.
  • We announce Beverley Knight, Lord Cashman and Lord Black as new patrons.
  • The Welsh Government announces a three-year trial to make PrEP available to those who need it.
  • Public Health England (PHE) publish figures showing an 18% decrease in HIV diagnoses in the UK in 2016.
  • Prince Harry attends the opening of our HIV self test pop-up shop in Hackney to launch National HIV Testing Week, and later our World AIDS Day fair in Nottingham.
  • During National HIV Testing Week, more than 15 MPs give HIV the finger by having a test and meeting people affected by HIV.
  • Our World AIDS Day theme is revealed as See Red: 'The colour red represents solidarity, love, activism and remembrance. The more we see red, the sooner we will end the HIV epidemic.'
  • PHE announces the start of a three-year PrEP trial in England starting in October, with 10,000 places available.

2018

  • The PARTNER 2 study confirms that people living with HIV on effective treatment can't pass it on.
  • Following two successful pilots, we launch our nationwide HIV self testing service.
  • We release a major report to conclude our Women and HIV: Invisible No Longer project after hearing from over 350 women living with HIV.
  • We relaunch our main website, fully updating all content and ensuring it works across all devices.
  • Sexual health services across England continue to face cuts to public health spending, with demand outstripping supply.
  • We step up our PrEP campaigns to ensure more people can access PrEP, both through the capped trial in England, resulting in an additional 3,000 places, and by working to increase uptake of the uncapped PrEP study in Wales.
  • We help shape the first guidance on sex education in nearly 20 years, ensuring compulsory lessons in England are LGBT-inclusive.
  • In Wales, we secure a win with the Welsh Government, confirming Relationships and Sexuality Education will be a mandatory part of the new curriculum.
  • The HPV vaccine is confirmed to be rolling out to boys in England, Scotland and Wales, following our years of campaigning.
  • Figures show that new HIV diagnoses are continuing to fall in the UK but 43% of people with HIV are still being diagnosed late.
  • Our Mags Portman PrEP Access Fund opens to help 1,000 people who could otherwise not afford it to buy PrEP.
  • We launch our 'Give HIV the Finger' message for National HIV Testing Week.
  • Wales becomes the first part of the UK to commit to zero new HIV infections by 2030.
  • A special performance of The Inheritance on World AIDS Day raises awareness and funds for our work.
  • The UK reaches the UN's 90-90-90 HIV target which was set for 2020.
  • Following the closure of the Macfarlane Trust, its assets transferred to Terrence Higgins Trust and we took on the responsibility to support former Macfarlane beneficiaries.

2019

  • The UK Government commits to ending new HIV transmissions in England by 2030 in an announcement by Health Secretary Matt Hancock.
  • We launch a three-year project, funded by the National Lottery, to revolutionise beneficiary involvement for the whole charity sector.
  • NHS England supports an official proposal from researchers for the PrEP trial to double in size to 26,000 places, but this is soon hit by further delays.
  • MPs back plans for LGBT-inclusive Relationships and Sex Education lessons in all secondary schools, plus inclusive Relationships Education lessons in all primary schools. Lessons will have up-to-date information about HIV.
  • Reductions in sexual health budgets over the previous years lead to soaring rates of STIs, in particular syphilis and gonorrhoea.
  • We set up the HIV Commission with the National AIDS Trust to deliver a set of ambitious and achievable recommendations to end new HIV transmissions in England by 2030.
  • The Government announces it will be increase public health budgets. We say it's a step in the right direction after years of consecutive spending reductions.
  • Former Wales rugby captain Gareth Thomas speaks publicly about his HIV status for the first time, leading to a spike in people ordering HIV tests and contacting THT Direct.
  • We work with Gareth and The Duke of Sussex to turn the media’s spotlight on the importance of everyone getting tested and knowing their HIV status, including a film to mark National Testing Week.
  • Gareth Thomas is announced as an HIV Commissioner.
  • We hold a Sexual Health Manifesto Twitter day of action, asking parliamentary candidates how their parties will prioritise sexual health if they are elected.