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‘Alarming’ rise in HIV diagnosis rates needs attention, gov says
Alarming increases in HIV diagnoses among women require urgent government focus, with new cases rising 33 per cent between 2019 and 2024, MPs have warned.
Sexual health services are “extremely stretched” with funding “pared to the bone”, threatening the UK’s ability to meet the United Nations AIDS 2030 zero transmission target, according to the Women and Equalities Committee report.
While new diagnoses fell among gay and bisexual men, significant disparities emerged in other groups.
New diagnoses in 2024 compared with 2019 were 35 per cent lower in men exposed through sex with men (1,238 to 810), but 26 per cent higher in females exposed through sex with men (596 to 749).
Overall, new diagnoses decreased 14 per cent in men but increased 33 per cent in females.
Black African and Asian populations saw increases of 80 per cent and 40 per cent respectively, while diagnoses among people of white ethnicity decreased 40 per cent.
The report warned the interim target of an 80 per cent reduction by 2025 is unlikely to be met.
Sarah Owen, chair of the Women and Equalities Committee and Labour MP, said: “With sexual health services stretched as they are, the Government will struggle to meet its adopted United Nations AIDS target of zero HIV transmissions by 2030.
“The forthcoming HIV action plan needs to include additional funding to that already earmarked if sexual health services are to be able to tackle HIV transmission effectively.
“Increases in HIV diagnoses among women are alarming and the action plan must include steps to address these concerns.
“Given the high cost to the NHS of late diagnosis, a fully resourced opt-out community testing programme in areas of high prevalence would represent a significant long-term saving.
“It should be introduced as soon as possible.”
MPs recommended expanding emergency department opt-out testing programmes to GP practices, abortion clinics, women’s health hubs, cervical screening centres and sexual health clinics.
Such expansion should include locally tailored campaigns targeting specific groups.
Just two thirds of heterosexual men and women are having their PrEP needs identified at sexual health services, with even fewer having them met.
PrEP is antiretroviral medication given to HIV-negative people to reduce infection risk.
The committee called for national digital access to PrEP to address delays in accessing sexual health services.
PrEP should also be available through community pharmacies and primary care, with increased walk-in appointments.
Ministers should enable nurses and health advisers to initiate PrEP prescriptions and provide targeted training to reduce missed opportunities, particularly in Black African communities.
Additional sexual health funding beyond that already earmarked for the public health grant will be needed to support increased testing.
Given the high NHS costs of late diagnosis, upstream community testing funding would deliver significant long-term savings, the report stated.
The report also highlighted concerning drops in testing among young people alongside decreased contraception use.
MPs called for public awareness campaigns on testing and contraception specifically targeting this age group.
Opt-out testing expansion to further emergency departments should automatically include hepatitis B and C tests.
Metro mayors should consider whether shared postal testing services across combined authorities might improve access and value compared with current individual local authority approaches.
Owen added: “Meeting the 2030 target requires focus on testing and improved access to PrEP, yet we know that people are struggling to access it, particularly if they live outside of major cities.
“As the Committee’s new report on tackling HIV transmission recommends, the Government should roll out digital access to HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) antiretroviral medication nationally to help address unacceptable delays and challenges in accessing sexual health services and prescriptions.”
“The roll out of injectable PrEP has the potential to be a huge step forwards in the battle against HIV.
“We urge it to be made available to vulnerable people, particularly women who may face barriers in accessing daily tablets.”
Small bowel microbiome differences between women and men may help explain why some conditions are more common in women, a study suggests.
The small bowel microbiome is the community of microorganisms living in this part of the digestive tract, where they play vital roles in immune function, metabolism and hormonal regulation.
Researchers found differences between women and men in the composition and organisation of these microbial communities. One bacterial community containing Granulicatella was found only in women.
The study was conducted by investigators at Cedars-Sinai Health Sciences University.
Ruchi Mathur, director of clinical research and clinical operations for the Medically Associated Science and Technology (MAST) Program at Cedars-Sinai and corresponding author of the study, said: “One intriguing finding was a bacterial community containing Granulicatella, which we found only in women.
“Bacteria in this community appear at increased levels in women with polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome, formerly known as polycystic ovary syndrome.”
The researchers also identified differences between women and men in how microbes in the small bowel produce fructans, complex carbohydrates known to trigger digestive symptoms in irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).
IBS is far more common in women than men.
Mathur, who is also a professor of medicine, said: “Our findings show that biological sex is a critical variable in the small bowel microbiome.
“We must consider it as we move toward more personalised approaches to understanding and treating disease.”
An experimental cancer drug reduced bone loss and body fat in mice modelling post-menopausal changes, early research suggests.
The compound, CADD522, appeared to strengthen bones and help the animals stay leaner after surgery designed to mimic hormonal changes seen after menopause.
The treatment remains at an early experimental stage and has so far only been tested in animals.
The study, led by the University of East Anglia, investigated CADD522, which was originally developed to block a protein involved in the growth and spread of several cancers.
Mice treated with the compound for eight weeks showed significant improvements in bone health. Scans found increased bone volume and better preservation of the honeycomb-like structures inside bones that are crucial for strength and resilience.
Blood tests suggested the treatment stimulated new bone growth without interfering with the body’s normal process of breaking down and rebuilding bone.
Dr Darrell Green, lead researcher from UEA’s Norwich Medical School, said: “Osteoporosis affects around one in three women over the age of 50, leaving sufferers vulnerable to painful fractures that can seriously impact quality of life.
“Current treatments exist, but many are plagued by side effects, safety concerns or inconvenient dosing schedules that make long-term use difficult.”
The researchers also found that mice receiving CADD522 weighed less than untreated mice despite eating the same amount of food.
They had less body fat and fewer fat deposits in their bone marrow, a process commonly seen after menopause and linked to declining bone health.
The team also examined brain tissue and found that the drug appeared to reverse several menopause-related changes in fatty acids.
Levels of omega-3 fats including DHA remained largely intact, while several other lipid abnormalities shifted back towards healthier patterns.
Green said: “We didn’t directly test for memory or thinking ability, but our work raises questions about whether this drug could one day help address wider menopause-related health problems.”
Safety experiments in mice, rats and dogs found that CADD522 could be taken orally and was well tolerated.
The compound also appeared to be metabolised more slowly in human tissue than in rodents, potentially improving its performance in people.
“This is still in the early stages and has so far only been tested in animals but we hope that the benefits will translate to humans to ultimately reduce fracture rates,” added Green.
The research was led by UEA in collaboration with the University of Maryland, the Scintillon Research Institute in San Diego and the University of Stirling.
Safety testing was funded by The Sir William Coxen Trust as part of the development of CADD522 as a childhood cancer treatment.
Weight loss surgery was linked to more regular periods and fewer polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome (PMOS) symptoms in women aged 18 to 45 living with obesity in a recent study.
The researchers recommend that women undergoing the procedure have access to preconception care and reproductive counselling to support their reproductive health.
Researchers at the University of Surrey analysed data over 24 months from 84 women who underwent bariatric surgery and 18 women living with obesity who did not have surgery.
Of those who underwent surgery, 49 had gastric bypass procedures and 35 had gastric sleeve surgery.
Women who underwent metabolic bariatric surgery lost more than 30kg on average at 12 and 24 months after the procedure.
Among women with polycystic ovaries, the condition persisted in only 10 per cent after 24 months.
Women also reported a resolution of clinical hirsutism, or excess body hair, by 12 months.
Women who had previously experienced irregular periods reported more regular menstrual cycles after surgery.
Professor Martin Whyte, co-author of the study and professor of metabolic medicine at the University of Surrey, said: “A large proportion of those undergoing bariatric surgery are women of reproductive age, who may be planning a pregnancy in the coming years.
“So much remains unknown about the impact of this type of surgery on women who are planning to have children.
“This raises the question of when the ideal time after surgery is to conceive.”
Women have a higher prevalence of obesity than men, with 57 per cent of women in the UK classified as overweight and 27 per cent living with obesity, which can affect fertility and the health of an unborn baby.
The researchers said 17 women had healthy pregnancies following surgery.
Although this was not specifically examined in the study, no difference in birth weight was observed between babies conceived within or after the first year.
Dr Kathryn Hart, co-author of the study and associate professor in nutrition and dietetics at the University of Surrey, said: “What we have found is that bariatric surgery positively affects the reproductive health of women living with obesity and can improve the likelihood of them having a healthy pregnancy after surgery.
“Dysregulated hormone levels, irregular periods and conditions such as polycystic ovaries are affected by obesity.
“By reducing this, what we have seen is that it can lead to improvements without the need for medication.
“We would suggest that clinicians consider medical intervention for obesity to treat irregularities in the menstrual cycle and issues with fertility.”
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