Risk

Since 2015, the World Health Organization has recommended PrEP for everyone at high risk of HIV infection, including women. Six years on, European data shows that PrEP is little known and rarely used by women. Nevertheless, women in Europe are certainly interested in using oral PrEP, especially those who are at high risk of exposure to the HIV virus. At the same time, there is a strong need for information about PrEP, as only 47 percent of the women surveyed were aware of its existence. This is evident from recent research by Maastricht University and a number of European HIV/AIDS organisations. Conducted in 12 European countries, the study was recently published in the scientific journal PLOS ONE.

Access

To combat HIV/AIDS effectively, the researchers say it is important to promote prevention tools such as PrEP, facilitate access to them and adapt them to the needs of women at high risk. Some women are not always able to negotiate condom use with their sex partner due to psychosocial factors. This means that eradicating AIDS also calls for the eradication of inequality between men and women in access to HIV prophylaxis. ‘Sex is a human right, and that includes protected sex,’ says Professor Jonas. ‘Everyone should be able to protect themselves properly against the HIV virus, so we have to look beyond the well-known risk groups such as gay men.’ The researchers urge national governments and health care providers to focus information about PrEP much more clearly on women as well. Healthcare providers could also more frequently point out the possibility of using PrEP to women at high risk of coming into contact with the HIV virus.