Metropolitan Police constable Casey Pownall campaigns for HIV-awareness in the force
Pownall has already educated 120 police officers and staff in an effort to challenge stigma surrounding HIV
By Aaron Sugg
Metropolitan Police constable Casey Pownall is campaigning for mandatory HIV-awareness training for officers across the nation.
Since joining the Met in 2023, he has educated 120 police officers and staff after witnessing colleagues feel uncomfortable when dealing with suspects living with HIV.
Despite not having HIV himself, as a publicly LGBTQ+ person, Pownall took it upon himself to challenge the stigma surrounding the virus.
Casey Pownall educates on misconceptions around HIV transmission
Speaking in a news release, he said: “I noticed officers getting anxious when carrying out arrest enquiries involving suspects living with HIV, often because of misconceptions around transmission.”
“I am aware of the stigma and discrimination people living with HIV still sadly face, both within policing and in the wider community. I wanted to raise awareness to help colleagues challenge stigma and understand how effective modern treatments are,” Pownall continued.
Pownall joined the Met as a neighbourhood officer through Police Now’s National Graduate Leadership Programme and has spoken openly about the importance of visibility within the force.
“At the Police Now Academy they encourage you to make the change you want to see in the world and make a difference,” said Pownall.
Overcoming hurdles for HIV-awareness
His HIV-awareness initiative didn’t come without its hurdles: “When I first landed on borough, I had no idea who to speak to or how to go through the right channels to get this initiative moving in the right direction.”
Pownall worked with the founder of the HIV Peer Support Network, Positive Plus, to develop a training presentation which he has now delivered to 120 police officers and staff. It has also been independently reviewed by both the Met’s Chief Medical Officer and the National AIDS Trust.
Pownall is now one of two co-chairs of Positive Plus and is working with the Police Federation to encourage the College of Policing to establish formal HIV training for officers across the UK.
“The response has been very positive” – Pownall says he is seeing progress in the force
“Officers are grateful for the increased awareness this initiative has created. That demonstrates its value and why I believe it should be made mandatory across the country. The response has been very positive, with some amazing progression taking place.”
Challenging the stigma around HIV, he said: “It’s not to shame anyone. I like to create a safe space for people to discuss it.”
“I’ve said to these officers that if someone says that to them, it’s very unlikely to be true because HIV isn’t transmitted through saliva.”
How can HIV be passed on?
HIV can be transmitted through blood, semen, pre-seminal fluid, rectal fluids, vaginal fluids and breast milk from a person with a detectable viral load.
Those living with HIV receiving effective treatment can achieve an undetectable viral load, which means they cannot pass HIV on through sex: undetectable equals untransmittable (U=U).
Pownall said: “Having these conversations is vital. There aren’t many health conditions that still carry the same level of stigma and discrimination as HIV.”
Pownall creates a safe space for officers living with HIV
“And there are police officers from different forces living with HIV who feel like they haven’t got anyone to speak to. And so, I think it’s absolutely incredible that we’re now making our peer support network national.”
Annie Howard, Senior Programme Manager for HIV Confident at the National AIDS Trust, supports the campaign, saying: “It is crucial that, as first responders, police officers have access to training that explains the modern reality of living with HIV.”
“We absolutely welcome Casey’s commitment to roll out this training to all officers, so they can be empowered to challenge stigma and create respectful, welcoming experiences for the people they serve.”
According to a study published by INHSU, HIV cases across prison sites in the UK was 0.4 per cent in 2023 and 2024 with HIV testing averaging at 89 per cent across all sites in 2024.