15th International Workshop on Women & HIV 2025
On behalf of Phoenix Health Movement and GNP+, Susan Cole spoke the 15th International Workshop on Women & HIV 2025 in Barcelona.
For the debate on the proposition “Women living with HIV should receive preventative statin therapy” Susan was paired with healthcare provider Carlos Diego Malvestutto (MD, MPH, FIDSA) to make the case for the proposition with Magdalena Ankiersztejn-Bartczak (PhD) & Esteban Martínez (MD, PhD) making the case against.
Susan was also part of a panel discussion in the ViiV Healthcare symposium on addressing the unmet needs of women with HIV. She discussed the data from the Positive Voices survey in the UK & highlighted the unmet social & welfare needs of women with HIV from marginalised communities who face intersecting barriers to good health.
Susan’s presentation for the Proposition “Women living with HIV should receive preventative statin therapy”
Key Take-Home Messages
At the conclusion of the event, the Workshop Chair shared the key take-home messages
- The rates of HIV infection in women continue to increase, and the numbers are impacted by migration, extreme weather events, resource insecurities, and program interruptions.
- Breastfeeding policies for women living with HIV continue to evolve, and strategies to enable women to breastfeed safely are evolving.
- Women living with HIV are at increased risk of cardiovascular disease, and the risk models designed for persons without HIV infection do not always apply. Statins have been shown to decrease cardiovascular events, especially in those over 40 years and with other risk factors.
- Injectable antiretroviral agents for treatment and prevention are adding an important choice for women living with and at risk for HIV. Challenges regarding access need to be addressed.
- Management of women with HIV needs to extend beyond antiretroviral therapy to include coinfection (HPV) and co-morbidities (liver disease and cognitive function).
- We need to continue to ensure women are aware of the value of clinical trials and how their contribution advances the field.
