"Data released ahead of a meeting which will explore the issue shows that while women accounted for 42% of new HIV diagnoses in the region, only 3% of women in the West Midlands are using prevention measures such as pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP). PrEP, available as a daily pill or an injection every eight weeks, significantly reduces the risk of contracting HIV."
"Local peer-led initiatives can make a real difference, added Dr Prita Banerjee, of the Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust. The Birmingham event would be a "valuable opportunity to share what's working and explore how we can scale up these kinds of approaches across the region," she said. The meeting will discuss findings from the national policy report Systematically Excluded and Ignored, which reveals how women have been consistently underserved in the UK's HIV response, organisers said."
Women in the West Midlands account for 42% of new HIV diagnoses while only 3% use prevention measures such as PrEP. PrEP, available as a daily pill or an injection every eight weeks, significantly reduces HIV risk. Government figures show 75% of men who have sex with men identified as needing PrEP had started or continued it in 2023, while women who have sex with men now represent the highest proportion of new diagnoses in England. Some women are being invited to join a clinical trial. Local peer-led initiatives and regional events aim to scale up effective approaches and address the gender gap.
Read at www.bbc.com
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