A focus on women, but what about the men?
International organisations regularly examine factors outside of women’s control that limit their use of health services. Gender inequality, poverty and the distance they have to travel to access a health centre are often to blame.
The international community has thus channelled money and other resources to remove barriers to testing and treatment for women. There is a logic to this approach. Focusing on women means that we can prevent new infections in utero and during birth, thus saving the lives of children.
As a result, HIV services are tailored to women of childbearing age and their children. Pregnant women are routinely tested and women are exposed to HIV prevention messages during most family planning, antenatal, or child wellness visits.
In a growing number of countries, pregnant and breastfeeding HIV positive women are automatically started on HIV treatment for life. This happens regardless of whether they meet the standard eligibility criteria.
Despite these successes for women, HIV policymakers have not fully understood why men are not using services. Answering this question is critical to understand the problem of missing men.