Women in the West Midlands are disproportionately affected by gaps in HIV prevention, according to a new report.
Data released ahead of a meeting to look at the issue shows that while women account 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 pill to take daily or as an injection every eight weeks, significantly reduces the risk of contracting HIV.
As healthcare leaders and health advocates gather to discuss what they call a “drastic” gender gap, there are growing calls for urgent action to address inequalities.
Government data showed that 75% of men who have sex with men identified by NHS England sexual health services as needing PrEP had started or continued taking it in 2023.
However, women who have sex with men now account for the highest proportion of new HIV diagnoses in England.
Some in the region invited to take part in a new clinical trialbut women have been “left behind”, said Sophie Strachan of women's HIV charity Sophia Forum.
“There are already examples of great work happening in the West Midlands – now we need to build on that and ensure every woman has access to the support she deserves,” she said.
This data was published by the UK Health Safety Agency. in its annual report on HIV testing and prevention.
Local peer-led initiatives can make a real difference, added Dr Preeta Banerjee from Wolverhampton Royal NHS Foundation Trust.
The Birmingham event will be a “valuable opportunity to share what works and explore how we can scale up these kinds of approaches across the region”, she said.
Organizers say the meeting will discuss the findings of the national policy report Systematically Excluded and Neglected, which shows women in the UK are consistently neglected in the HIV response.
Peter Wickersham from pharmaceutical company Gilead Sciences, who helped organize the meeting, added: “While national policy sets the direction, it is local action, tailored to community needs, that drives real change.”
