Women in the Asia-Pacific Region: A Neglected Population

amfAR’s TREAT Asia program has convened its first-ever think tank addressing clinical, research, and policy needs related to women and HIV in the Asia-Pacific region. Recommendations from the experts who participated in the think tank will inform TREAT Asia’s research plans for this vulnerable and often neglected population.

“In Southeast Asia alone, approximately 4 million individuals were living with HIV in 2023, with a considerable proportion being women,” said think tank participant Caroline Thomas, founder of Peduli Hati Bangsa Foundation, an Indonesia-based nonprofit of and for people living with and affected by HIV and viral hepatitis. “UNAIDS 2023 data highlights that several countries, including Cambodia, Indonesia, and the Philippines, are seeing a significant rise in HIV infections among young women, particularly those between the ages of 15 and 24.”

“Several countries, including Cambodia, Indonesia, and the Philippines, are seeing a significant rise in HIV infections among young women, particularly those between the ages of 15 and 24.”

“Women living with and at risk of HIV face specific vulnerabilities, risks, and challenges,” added Dr. Jeremy Ross, TREAT Asia’s director of research. “While a number of these get attention at a global level and in the context of better-resourced high-income country health systems, there are substantial gaps in associated clinical services in low-middle-income countries and in the Asia-Pacific region.”

Dr. Reena Rajasuriar, of the University of Malaya in Malaysia and the Peter Doherty Institute, Melbourne University, Australia, explained part of the reason for these service gaps: “A large body of evidence on HIV prevention, treatment, and care for people with HIV in the Asia- Pacific region has come from studies in male-dominant cohorts and focused on key populations of MSM [men who have sex with men]. Consequently, we know very little about the challenges faced by women at risk for and living with HIV to access and remain engaged in care, including their challenges of growing older with HIV. Understanding these will be critical to develop better person-centered care models for women in the region.”

Thomas, a person living with HIV and member of the TREAT Asia Community Advisory Group, agrees that women living with HIV, particularly in the Asia-Pacific region, have been underrepresented in HIV research.

“Women with HIV encounter a range of complex health issues,” says Thomas. “These include not only reproductive health and pregnancy-related concerns, but also menopause-related complications and a higher susceptibility to co-infections like HPV-related cervical cancer. Additional health concerns such as mental health disorders, cardiovascular conditions, metabolic issues, and sexual health challenges demand greater attention to improve our overall well-being.”

Dr. Kathy Petoumenos, of the Kirby Institute, University of New South Wales, Australia, advises that researchers need to close “knowledge gaps with respect to the HIV-related and general health outcomes of women living with HIV across the lifespan of living with HIV—from testing and access to treatment and care, to long-term treatment exposure and ageing with HIV. Focusing on women and including data that are unique and specific to women is critical to improve the care of women with HIV. It will also bring women to the front of people’s minds in terms of clinical care as well as policy responses.”

One of the conclusions of the think tank, shared Dr. Ross, is “that the TREAT Asia network and its investigators are well-positioned to address some of these issues through research and the development of a regional evidence base, but also information dissemination, engagement, and advocacy.”

Chael Needle is amfAR’s senior staff writer.

Click Here to read more from the December 2024 issue of amfAR INNOVATIONS.

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