What we do
​
​Our work is situated in a sobering reality. Minoritised ethnic communities are disproportionately impacted by poor HIV, sexual and reproductive health compared to their white counterparts:
​
The highest population rates of STI diagnoses are among people of Black or mixed ethnicity, an 11% increase from 2021 to 2022. Majority of these cases are among persons living in areas of high deprivation, and are most likely influenced by underlying socioeconomic factors and their role in the social determinants of a community’s health rather than individual clinical or behavioural factors.
People of Black ethnicity are overrepresented in new HIV diagnoses. In 2022, 30% of new HIV diagnoses in the UK were among people of Black ethnicity despite only making up 3% of the population. Between 2021 and 2022 in England, new HIV diagnoses increased among people of Black African ethnicity by 65%.
People of Black Caribbean/Black other ethnicities have high mortality rates due to late-stage HIV diagnoses. Those first diagnosed at a late stage of infection in the UK in 2021 were 6 times more likely to die within a year.
UK, US, and Canada have high Black maternal mortality rates. There is an almost four-fold difference in maternal mortality rates amongst women of Black ethnicity compared to women of white ethnicity.
Ageing with HIV has complex needs our health systems must be prepared for. The prevalence of long-term chronic conditions such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and arthritis have risen since 2017. About half of people living with HIV are aged 50 and over, and in 2022, 64% reported having been diagnosed with one or more long-term conditions in addition to HIV compared to 59% in 2017.
​
At the heart of our work is a passion and drive to redress sexual health inequalities to enable all people from minority communities to enjoy positive sexual health and well-being.
​
Our work is available in multiple languages and works across four key areas:
​
-
Care and support services for people impacted and living with HIV
-
Sexual health prevention and promotions services
-
Clinical services: HIV/selected STI pop-up services and psycho-therapeutic counselling
-
Research, influencing and policy