HIV Prevention and Health Access for Key Populations
Summary
The HIV epidemic remains concentrated in certain groups notably men who have sex with men, transgender women, sex workers, people who inject drugs and young sexual minorities. These key populations face elevated risk due to biological vulnerability, social exclusion, criminalisation and stigma. Effective prevention requires combination approaches that integrate biomedical tools such as antiretroviral‐based prevention, behavioural interventions and structural reforms to reduce discrimination. Access to testing, care and treatment is undermined by legal barriers and provider bias, leading to disparities in diagnosis, treatment coverage and viral suppression compared with the general population. Addressing health access demands decriminalisation, community‐led service delivery, training for healthcare providers in cultural competence and the use of digital and decentralised models to reach marginalised groups. The global aim to end AIDS by 2030 hinges on equitable implementation of tailored prevention and care across diverse social and regulatory contexts.
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HIV Prevention and Health Access for Key Populations publication trend
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Technical terms
Pre‐exposure prophylaxis (PrEP): A regimen of antiretroviral medication taken by HIV‐negative individuals to reduce the risk of acquiring infection.
Antiretroviral therapy (ART): The use of combined antiretroviral drugs to suppress HIV replication and maintain immune function.
Viral suppression: The reduction of HIV viral load in the blood to undetectable or very low levels, minimising disease progression and transmission risk.
HIV incidence: The rate of new HIV infections occurring in a defined population over a specified time period.
Key populations: Groups disproportionately affected by HIV due to social, legal or behavioural factors, including MSM, transgender people, sex workers, people who inject drugs and incarcerated individuals.
References
- Trends in HIV testing, the treatment cascade, and HIV incidence among men who have sex with men in Africa: a systematic review and meta-analysis. The Lancet HIV (2023).
- Reducing stigma and promoting HIV wellness/mental health of sexual and gender minorities: RCT results from a group‐based programme in Nigeria. Journal of the International AIDS Society (2024).
- “What if I get sick, where shall I go?”: a qualitative investigation of healthcare engagement among young gay and bisexual men in Nairobi, Kenya. BMC Public Health (2024).
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