Time to read
We’re pleased to share some fantastic news: we’re on the way to successfully challenging and changing a discriminatory law in Scotland.
Challenging the law
We’ve been making the case to the Scottish Government that current legislation is unlawful as it requires acupuncturists to always wear gloves when a client shares that they have a blood borne virus like HIV.
We argued this was discriminatory under the Equality Act and is an outdated precaution that hasn’t kept up to date with U=U and management of risks of transmission.
Engaging with the Scottish Parliament
We were pleased to engage with Jenni Minto MSP, Minister for Public Health and Women’s Health, who recognised that this law needed to change and put in place steps to get it changed.
The Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982 (Licensing of Skin Piercing and Tattooing) Amendment Order 2026 was presented at committee on 3 March 2026 for Parliamentary scrutiny. The committee supported the amendment unanimously and no concerns were raised.
The Order will now move to the next stage of the process, and we fully expect the change to come into force soon.
Fighting for HIV rights with your support
Every discriminatory law that is challenged enables people with HIV to live freer of stigma and discrimination.
None of our vital work is possible without our supporters. Thanks to supporters and activists like you, we can continue to advocate for the rights of everyone living with HIV.