By Adam Freedman 

Earlier this month, we were delighted when the Government announced it was laying before Parliament the secondary legislation required to allow people living with HIV with an undetectable viral load to donate sperm or eggs to allow them to start families of their own.

This was a long-fought for campaign, over five years, which required the coordination of medical and legal evidence, and building significant political support. We worked alongside Parliamentarians, the British HIV Association, our supporters and many others to achieve this important change to the law. This campaign has taken a lot of time, effort and coordination, and so we are very proud of this life-changing campaigning victory.

As you will now know, on Wednesday 22 May, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak called a General Election for Thursday 4 July. Whilst a general election was expected this year, it was widely anticipated to be taking place in the autumn. The announcement of a July election has surprised many.

We therefore want to reassure everyone about possible implications for the vital legislation we had campaigned for, and the anticipated change in the law.

We are happy to say that this legislation should still be passed - hopefully as soon as this summer. The statutory instrument has already been laid before Parliament, and it can easily be re-activated by the next Government as one of its first actions. The legislation can then quickly go to two short debates, in each of the House of Commons and House of Lords, a simple rubber-stamping exercise to sign these provisions into law.

Whilst the process has been started by a Conservative Government, Labour’s Shadow Health Secretary, Wes Streeting, signalled his commitment to changing the law back in December 2022. We are therefore confident that there is political consensus on this issue, and whoever forms the next Government can hit the ground running to deliver this much-needed change to the law for people living with HIV.

The next Government can make signing equal HIV fertility rights into law one of its very first actions. We call on the next Health Secretary to re-activate and pass this already tabled secondary legislation in July, as a priority, so that many more people living with HIV can finally have the families that they always dreamed of.