It’s Talk Time: Service Users Forum 2016

To mark International Women’s Day, UISCE and the Saol Project are once again hosting the annual ‘It’s Talk Time: Service Users Forum’ on Thursday 10th March in Ballybough Sports, Youth and Community Centre, in Dublin’s North Inner City.

Female participants involved in addiction services across Ireland are invited to come together to share their experiences of being a woman in addiction and in addiction services.

This year’s theme is ‘Let’s Talk Health’ (physical and mental health) and HIV Ireland will present and talk about HIV.  The event and presentation is timely given the increasing numbers of new HIV infections among people who inject drugs (PWID) in Ireland, and particularly in the Dublin region.  Between 2012 and 2014 there was a 68% increase in new HIV diagnoses among PWID (from 12 in 2012 to 27 in 2014).  In addition, the number of new diagnoses among women has increased by 367% (from 3 in 2012 to 14 in 2014).

HIV Ireland will provide updates on the emerging trends on HIV diagnoses in Ireland, why HIV infections may be increasing amongst PWID, the challenges and implications of late HIV diagnoses, how HIV transmission may be prevented, and services available at HIV Ireland and other agencies.