More awareness is needed to encourage women to take up HIV testing amid slow progress in tackling transmission, the UK Health Security Agency’s (UKHSA) Chief Medical Adviser has warned today.
Despite a significant fall in cases among gay and bisexual men between 2019 and 2022, heterosexual groups are not following the same trajectory. Since 2021, progress has slowed in reducing HIV transmission among heterosexual women, with cases rising by 26% from 447 to 564 in 2022.
And in 2022, 40% of women attending sexual health services were not offered an HIV test compared to 27% of heterosexual men and 23% of gay and bisexual men who weren’t offered a test. Factors including a fall in the number of heterosexuals testing since the COVID-19 pandemic and a focus on groups other than women are among the reasons believed responsible.
Women were also less likely to start or continue PrEP, according to the UKHSA’s latest monitoring and evaluation framework, which focuses on the interim ambitions of England’s HIV Action Plan.
The UKHSA’s latest survey into those living with the virus, Positive Voices, also revealed concerns specific to women, with higher levels of stigma compared to some other groups.
Speaking on International Women’s Day, Professor Susan Hopkins, UKHSA’s Chief Medical Adviser, is calling for more awareness around the risks of HIV to women.
“It’s clear that women are being left behind when it comes to HIV. Despite diagnoses increasing, women are not being offered testing or PrEP as frequently as men at clinics.
“Women must be considered just as relevant as other groups when it comes to having HIV tests.
“So please, no matter your gender or sexual orientation, use condoms, get tested, and take PrEP if you’re eligible, to protect you and your partners’ health.”
“I would urge all women at risk of HIV to get regularly tested and if you do test positive safe and effective treatment is available.”
Health Minister Andrea Leadsom MP said: “This International Women’s Day, women’s health needs to be at the forefront of people’s minds as cases of HIV in heterosexual women rise.
“Through our HIV Action Plan we are working to ensure progress continues to be made for everyone. We recently committed an additional £20 million for new research which will involve an expansion and evaluation of the blood borne virus opt-out testing programme. This will improve testing and help us reach populations who are hardest to engage through existing local sexual health services.
“I urge everyone to get tested regularly, use condoms and take PrEP if eligible so we can reach our goal of ending new transmissions of HIV by 2030.”
The Positive Voices survey 2022, which was completed by 4,618 people living with diagnosed HIV, found it was more common for women (14.1% compared to 8.8% in men) not to share their HIV status with anyone.
And on awareness of the concept of U=U, undetectable=untransmittable, whereby those on effective treatment are unable to pass the virus on, awareness was highest among young people (98.0% in 18 to 34 year olds) and lowest among women (88.2%).
Veritee Reed-Hall, 71, from Cornwall, was herself involved in the Positive Voices survey. She believes she acquired HIV from her husband around 27 years ago. She was diagnosed in 2006 after her husband became very unwell. She has struggled to cope with the stigma she has experienced following her diagnosis.
“We were both very open about living with HIV. But many were not supportive of a middle-aged woman with HIV. We just did not fit in.
“We were older than most, still married, heterosexual, openly out about our status, but no one would help me raise awareness around the risks of not testing.
“Testing for HIV is quick, free, confidential and easy.”
“It really got to me as I still live with HIV and always will. I still have something to offer and a message to get out that anyone, including married women, can get HIV.
“Things have changed now of course. But it can still be difficult for an older woman such as myself to say she has HIV. Women need to be aware of the risks.
“So please, I would urge all women at risk of HIV to get regularly tested and if you do test positive safe and effective treatment is available.”
As part of the government’s HIV Action Plan Implementation Steering Group the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), UKHSA and partners have recently developed and published a roadmap to improve equitable access to PrEP for key groups, including women.
Professor Kevin Fenton, the government’s Chief Advisor on HIV and Chair of HIV Action Plan Implementation Steering Group, said: “It’s our ambition to end new transmissions of HIV in the UK by 2030. To reach this, we are strengthening our efforts to make sure women benefit equally from the progress made in other population groups. On International Women’s Day, we need to remind ourselves that HIV can affect anyone.
“As part of the government’s HIV Action Plan Implementation Steering Group, DHSC, UKHSA and partners have recently developed and published a roadmap to improve access, uptake and use of PrEP for key groups, including women.
“Testing for HIV is quick, free, confidential and easy – at your GP or sexual health clinic, by ordering a test online or through charities like the Terrence Higgins Trust. Get tested regularly to protect yourself and partner.”
