Report shows ‘glaring’ gender gap in HIV prevention in West Midlands

Women in the West Midlands are disproportionately affected by HIV prevention gaps, according to a new report.

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.

As health leaders and advocates gather to discuss what they describe as a “glaring” gender gap, calls are growing for urgent action to combat inequality.

Government figures revealed that 75% of men who have sex with men, identified as needing PrEP by NHS sexual health services in England, had started or continued taking it by 2023.

However, women who have sex with men now account for the highest proportion of new HIV diagnoses in England.

Some local people are being invited to take part in a new clinical trial, but women are being “left behind”, said Sophie Strachan, of women’s HIV charity Sophia Forum.

“There are already examples of great work being done across the West Midlands and we now need to build on this and ensure every woman has access to the support they deserve,” she said.

The figures were published by the UK Health Security Agency in its annual report on HIV testing and prevention.

Local peer-led initiatives can make a real difference, added Dr Prita Banerjee, from the Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust.

The Birmingham event would be “a valuable opportunity to share what works and explore how we can scale these types of approaches across the region,” she said.

The meeting will discuss the findings of the national policy report Systematically Excluded and Ignored, which reveals how women have been systematically underserved in the UK’s HIV response, organizers said.

Peter Wickersham, of 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.”