Campaign seeks to plug HIV care gap for UK women

A public awareness campaign that aims to encourage greater communication between women and healthcare professionals about HIV, backed by ViiV Healthcare, is being extended to the UK.

The 'Risk to Reasons' initiative first started in the US to reframe conversations about HIV and increase awareness and action around HIV prevention, particularly focusing on Black women.

According to HIV therapy specialist ViiV, which is majority owned by GSK with Pfizer and Shionogi as shareholders, the UK campaign is designed to "move beyond harmful stereotypes and labels of 'risk'," and encourage women and HCPs to "have open and honest conversations about HIV prevention options without fear."

Last year, data published by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) revealed a decline in new diagnoses of HIV among women. However, it also found lower uptake among women of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) to prevent infection, particularly among heterosexual women, with rates much lower than gay and bisexual men.

According to ViiV, one reason for that is that women are less likely to be recognised as people who require HIV prevention, while conversations about HIV have often alienated women and reinforced stigma through "sexist and misogynistic language that places blame where it shouldn't be."

Risk to Reasons is championing inclusive prevention that recognises a woman's reasons for considering HIV prevention – whether through condoms, PrEP, or post-exposure prophylaxis – are shaped by her individual identity, relationships, and lived experiences and must be acknowledged without fear of judgment.

PrEP in particular was initially promoted as something for gay men to use, and women have often been excluded from conversations around access.

"We must reframe conversations about HIV prevention to be free from the shame and fear that hold women back from making informed decisions about their health," said Dr Nneka Nwokolo, a practising HIV physician who is head of global patient engagement at ViiV.

"This initiative is about listening to women, putting them at the centre, and ensuring HIV prevention is presented as an empowering choice, not a warning," she added.

Failing to do so will make it harder to meet the UK government's ambitious goal of eliminating new HIV transmissions by 2030.

The campaign is being supported by educational resources targeted at both women and HCPs.

It has been announced shortly after ViiV's bimonthly PrEP injection Apretude (cabotegravir) was cleared for use by the NHS for an estimated 1,000 people at risk of HIV who need HIV prevention, but cannot have pills to protect them from the virus - for example, because they have difficulty swallowing tablets, or face other challenges to adherence like partner violence or homelessness.

Photo by Vonecia Carswell on Unsplash