Pharmafile Logo

Reaching Women Where They’re At: Setting Up a Safe Space for HIV Prevention Conversations

- PMLiVE

“I always enjoyed solving problems and putting puzzles together,” says Harmony Garges, MD, CMO at ViiV Healthcare and a pediatric infectious disease specialist. “So for me, infectious disease was a perfect fit from a medical perspective because often you’re the consultant who is pulled in to solve those puzzles, to examine someone who has an unexplained symptom.”

The other piece that drew her in to HIV specifically. was understanding the impact these diseases have, and that in many cases they’re preventable. “I wanted to be a part of advancing the field and raising awareness about prevention, and the importance of getting tested and getting on appropriate therapy,” she says.

For Rupa R. Patel, MD, MPH, FIDSA, HIV Research Branch, CDC, and Community Health, Whitman-Walker Health, the social aspect also was compelling. “MY aha moment came when I was taking care of a transgender woman that was newly diagnosed with HIV, and realizing that our clinic and staff and myself were the safe space.” This person was rattled by their new diagnosis, and very isolated because they didn’t have the social support from their family. “They were missing the kind of safe space they had once found in church,” Patel says. It wasn’t just about providing medication: Patel also needed to understand this person’s life to help them truly succeed.  “It’s the interaction with communities, as well as the meaningful relationships you can create, that must be woven together to successfully treat patients and help stop the spread of infection,” she says

With a wealth of medical expertise between them, these physician leaders are pioneering new ways to get information and preventive medicines to at-risk women. According to a recent CDC report, out of 31,000 new HIV infections in the U.S, almost 20% were women, a number that hasn’t budged in recent years. Of those on preventive medicine (PrEP), 92% are men and only 8% are women —  “so we know that HIV prevention currently is not reaching women effectively,” Garges says. 

What are the challenges and stumbling blocks? Stigma is the big one, and finding ways to overcome it is the search for the Holy Grail, they say. Creating a safe non-judgmental environment for seeking care, and even integrating conversations about sexual health into routine settings, is key. 

“Back when I trained, HIV was treated by specialized infectious disease clinicians because in the early days it was quite complicated,” says Garges. “Thankfully, we’ve evolved to a place where HIV can be treated, typically, with one pill once a day,” which enables a broader medical community, including primary care providers, to lean into the HIV space and start taking care of people living with HIV or who want to access prevention. So a woman can simply go see her GYN like all her girlfriends do, like everyone else in the community does. She doesn’t have to seek out an HIV specialist to have these conversations, so it normalizes the experience and empowers her to take control of her health in a comfortable way.

“A woman has needs dynamically throughout her life,” says Patel, “and that requires flexibility in terms of where you reach her.” Maybe she has a job and transportation and can get to a clinic. Maybe that means a nurse going on a mobile unit, or someone sitting in the local park doing testing once a month so a woman can get tested on her way home from the grocery store. 

 “There’s also some evidence around having conversations and doing testing in nail salons,” Patel says. And hair salons. “That has been tried and tested over time.” A successful program is one “that will reach women where they’re at and where they make time. They’ll make time on a Sunday to get their hair done. In the South, where religion is often a strong part of the community fabric, there have been efforts with pastors to talk about and normalize messaging.” We need to continue thinking outside the box, “and that’s why that flexibility and that community connection is so important.” 

For more information, please contact Jelena Spyropoulos (Global) or Piyali Shin (US).

About Medscape Education Medscape Education (medscape.org) is the leading destination for continuous professional development, consisting of more than 30 specialty-focused destinations offering thousands of free accredited CME and CE courses for physicians, nurses, and other healthcare professionals.

This content was provided by Medscape Education

Company Details

 Latest Content from  Medscape Education 

Breakthrough Alzheimer’s Therapies Drive Early Detection Rates While Exposing Deep Treatment Disparities

Analysis from Komodo Health and Medscape Education shows cognitive screening up 10% and biomarker testing up 23%, yet significant disparities persist in detection for women and treatment access for Black...

Virtual Practice, Real Results: The Power of Virtual Patient Simulation

Simulation has never been more vital in medicine than it is today. As increasing numbers of physicians turn to large language models for clinical answers1, the real differentiator isn’t just...

A New Destination for Oncology Education

Medscape Oncology is pleased to announce the launch of a groundbreaking new learning space designed to provide education across tumor types and oncology disciplines: PIONEER – PrecIsion Oncology: Navigating EvidEnce...

A Call to Action: Bridging the Adult Immunization Divide

Over the past few years, as new diseases have emerged or reemerged, a host of new vaccines have become available while many others are in the pipeline. For older adults,...

Medscape Education Returns as Thought Leaders to AIS 2025

📍 September 8–10, 2025 Hilton at Penn’s Landing | Philadelphia, PA Medscape Education is proud to return to the 2025 Alliance Industry Summit (AIS) as a Silver Sponsor and leading...

What Do Pickleball and Medscape Education Have in Common? Heather Lavigne.

When she’s not taking on challengers on the pickleball court, you can find Heather Lavigne leading Medscape Education’s dynamic insights and impact team as Senior Director. Her leadership philosophy is...

Medscape Education: Celebrating the Power, Purpose, and Future of Women in Medicine

Medscape Education is proud to return to the Power of Women in Medicine Summit™, reaffirming its commitment to uplifting, empowering, and amplifying women across healthcare. As a sponsor, Medscape brings...

Medscape Cardiology: Leading the Future of Heart Failure Education at HFSA 2025

Medscape Cardiology | theheart.org is proud to be at the forefront of the Heart Failure Society of America (HFSA) Annual Scientific Meeting (ASM), September 26–29, 2025, in Minneapolis, MN! With...

Medical Misinformation and Sensationalism in the Age of Social Media

In today’s digital age, misinformation spreads faster than ever, often driven by sensational headlines and influencer content. These sources of misinformation often overshadow evidence-based content, creating confusion for both healthcare...

Medscape To Bring Leading Cardiology Education to ESC

The Medscape Global team is bringing their leading cardiology education and proven impact to the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) Congress in Madrid for 2025. Powered by enhanced technologies, methodologies,...