Sociodemographic variations in healthcare service use among people with HIV in the UK

@article{nakagawa2026sociodemographic,
  title = {{Sociodemographic variations in healthcare service use among people with HIV in the UK}},
  author = {Fumiyo Nakagawa and Valerie Delpech and Colette J. Smith and Annegret Pelchen-Matthews and Adamma Aghaizu and Clare Humphreys and Victoria Tittle and Lisa Southon and Alex Sparrowhawk and Harun Tulunay and Veronique Martin and Hannah Kitt and Carole Kelly and Janey Sewell and Alison Rodger and Fiona C. Lampe and for the Positive Voices 2022 Study Team},
  journal = {PLOS One},
  year = {2026},
  month = sep,
  doi = {10.1371/journal.pone.0354425},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0354425},
  note = {CC BY 4.0},
}

TY  - JOUR
TI  - Sociodemographic variations in healthcare service use among people with HIV in the UK
AU  - Fumiyo Nakagawa
AU  - Valerie Delpech
AU  - Colette J. Smith
AU  - Annegret Pelchen-Matthews
AU  - Adamma Aghaizu
AU  - Clare Humphreys
AU  - Victoria Tittle
AU  - Lisa Southon
AU  - Alex Sparrowhawk
AU  - Harun Tulunay
AU  - Veronique Martin
AU  - Hannah Kitt
AU  - Carole Kelly
AU  - Janey Sewell
AU  - Alison Rodger
AU  - Fiona C. Lampe
AU  - for the Positive Voices 2022 Study Team
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/09/15
JO  - PLOS One
DO  - 10.1371/journal.pone.0354425
UR  - https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0354425
AB  - Objectives: People with HIV on effective treatment can expect a normal life expectancy, though they may experience increased prevalence of other chronic health conditions. We assessed among people with HIV, non-HIV health care usage and variation by sociodemographic and lifestyle factors. Methods: Positive Voices 2022 is a national UK questionnaire study of people with HIV (April 2022-March 2023). Participants self-reported on use of a range of health services. Associations of sociodemographic and lifestyle factors with five specific services were assessed using modified Poisson regression. Prevalence ratios(aPRs) adjusted for age, demographic group and year of HIV diagnosis and 95% confidence intervals [95%CIs] are given. Results: Among 4451 people with healthcare use data, 79.0% attended their GP service in the past year, and 54.9%, 46.2%, 21.0%, and 10.0% attended dental, sexual health, accident and emergency (A&E) and mental health services, respectively. Use varied across sociodemographic groups. Older people were less likely to use mental health and sexual health services, but more likely to use GP and dentists. Black African men, other heterosexual men and Black African women were significantly less likely to use mental health services: aPR 0.19 95%CI[0.09–0.43], aPR 0.49 95%CI[0.31–0.78] and aPR 0.48 95%CI[0.34–0.68] respectively, compared to gay/bisexual/other men-who-have-sex-with-men. Participants without money for basic needs were much more likely to use mental health services (aPR 3.41, 95%CI[2.54–4.59] versus enough money) and A&E (aPR 2.00, 95%CI[1.65–2.45]), but less likely to use dentists (aPR 0.84 95%CI[0.73–0.96]). Obesity, smoking and comorbidities were also associated with higher use of A&E and mental health services. Conclusion: Healthcare service use among people with HIV varies across sociodemographic groups. Results suggest the need for interventions and policies to improve physical and mental health and access to timely care among people with socioeconomic disadvantage and to enable greater access to mental health services for Black African people.
SN  - 1932-6203
ER  -