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HIV

NHS England to Roll Out First Long-Acting Injection for HIV Prevention

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

NHS England has announced its intention to offer the first long-acting injectable form of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) for individuals who cannot take oral tablets, marking a significant step towards reducing HIV transmission. This move follows the release of the UK Health Security Agency's 2024 HIV surveillance data, which shows a 4% decline in new diagnoses across the UK from 3,169 in 2023 to 3,043 in 2024. However, despite this progress, women continue to face persistent inequalities in HIV prevention, treatment, and care, with only 3% of PrEP users being women, and nearly half of women diagnosed receiving a late-stage diagnosis.

Key Takeaways:

  • NHS England will offer the first long-acting injectable form of PrEP to individuals who cannot take oral tablets, expanding the range of HIV prevention options.
  • The UK Health Security Agency's 2024 HIV surveillance data shows a 4% decline in new diagnoses across the UK from 3,169 in 2023 to 3,043 in 2024.
  • Despite progress, women continue to face persistent inequalities in HIV prevention, treatment, and care, including only 3% of PrEP users being women.
  • The College of Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare (CoSRH) calls for HIV prevention strategies to actively consider the needs of women, including integrating HIV testing and prevention into routine women's health services.
  • CoSRH is committed to exploring further with partners to support progress toward a truly inclusive approach to HIV prevention and care.

Statistics:

  • 3,169 new HIV diagnoses in the UK in 2023 (UK Health Security Agency, 2024)
  • 3,043 new HIV diagnoses in the UK in 2024, a 4% decline from 2023
  • 46% of new HIV diagnoses in 2023 were women (UK Health Security Agency, 2024)
  • Only 3% of PrEP users in 2023 were women (UK Health Security Agency, 2024)
  • Nearly half (49.3%) of women diagnosed with HIV in 2023 received a late-stage diagnosis (UK Health Security Agency, 2024)

Sources:

  • UK Health Security Agency (2024) - 2024 HIV surveillance data
  • UK Health Security Agency (2023) - 2023 HIV surveillance data
  • The College of Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare (2022) - Systematically Excluded and Ignored report

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