Abstract
Background: The risk of HIV acquisition is doubled during pregnancy compared to non-pregnant periods, and over one-third of vertical transmission of HIV (from mother to baby) is attributable to acute maternal HIV acquisition. Since 2017, the World Health Organization (WHO) has recommended oral HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) as a safe, effective prevention tool for pregnant and postpartum women at high risk for HIV acquisition. However, per the 2018-2019 Global Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, Child and Adolescent Health Policy Survey, only 43% of WHO member states have policies in place aligned with supporting HIV PrEP in pregnancy. It is a critical time to ensure that national policies are up-to-date and evidence-based, especially given new and highly efficacious innovations in HIV PrEP, such as long-acting injectables.
Purpose:
1) To fulfill requirements of Sigma’s Global Advocacy Academy,
2) To propose an advocacy action plan aimed at closing the gap in HIV PrEP in pregnancy policies globally.
Advocacy Action Plan: In support of the Sustainable Development Goals 3 – Good Health and Well-being and 5 – Gender Equality, and the Global AIDS Strategy 2021-2026, we propose a 4-step global policy advocacy campaign to close the policy gap on HIV PrEP in pregnancy.
Step 1 - Formative Research: grounding campaign in evidence and lived experience.
Step 2 – Tailor Message Development & Dissemination: deliver culturally appropriate, impactful messaging.
Step 3 – Capacity Building & Policy Advocacy: build systems-level support to sustain change & advocate for policy.
Step 4 – Advocacy Training & Monitoring/Evaluation: equip advocates to drive effective policy change on PrEP in pregnancy.
Sigma Membership
Psi at-Large
Type
Presentation
Format Type
Text-based Document
Study Design/Type
Other
Research Approach
Other
Keywords:
HIV Acquisition During Pregnancy, HIV Acquisition Prevention, International Policy
Recommended Citation
Strong, Marin, "Closing the gap: A global advocacy campaign to promote HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis in pregnancy" (2025). Global Advocacy. 3.
https://www.sigmarepository.org/ga_series/3
Rights Holder
All rights reserved by the author(s) and/or publisher(s) listed in this item record unless relinquished in whole or part by a rights notation or a Creative Commons License present in this item record.
Review Type
None: Event Material, Invited Presentation
Acquisition
Proxy-submission
Full Text of Presentation
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