SEXPROM study launched to address sexual health of people living with HIV through a gender-based approach

The Centre for Epidemiological Studies on HIV/AIDS and STI of Catalonia (CEEISCAT), a research group of the Germans Trias i Pujol Research Institute (IGTP), and the Grupo de Trabajo sobre Tratamientos del VIH (gTt-VIH) announce the start of data collection for the SEXPROM Study, a pioneering investigation in Spain that will explore sexual satisfaction among people living with HIV, with a differentiated focus by gender and sexual orientation.

This project, winner of the 2024 Gilead Grant for the development of strategies to increase the dissemination and implementation of Patient Reported Outcomes (PROs) in clinical practice, aims to give voice to people living with HIV themselves through PROMs (Patient Reported Outcomes Measures) and PREMs (Patient Reported Experience Measures), tools designed to gather experiences and perceptions directly reported by patients.

An innovative approach to quality of life for people living with HIV

While advances in antiretroviral treatment have enabled high rates of viral suppression and improved life expectancy, aspects such as sexual wellbeing remain a pending issue in comprehensive HIV care. International research has shown that sexual health significantly influences quality of life and adherence to treatment, yet in Spain there is very limited data integrating this dimension from a gender and sexual diversity perspective.

The SEXPROM study will specifically analyse sexual satisfaction and its determinants among men, women and non-binary people, as well as according to sexual orientation, with the goal of identifying differentiated needs to guide clinical care and reduce inequalities.

Cinta Folch, principal investigator of the project and technical coordinator at CEEISCAT, highlights: "This study will allow us to gain in-depth knowledge of how people living with HIV experience their sexual health and which factors influence their satisfaction. Incorporating their own voices through PROMs and PREMs is essential to move towards more comprehensive, equitable and person-centred care".

Participation and methodology

The research will be conducted in HIV Units of hospitals in Catalonia and the Balearic Islands included in the PISCIS Cohort, with an estimated sample of more than 700 people living with HIV. The study will collect data on sexual satisfaction and related factors, also considering clinical variables such as treatment adherence, with the aim of carrying out a complete analysis of the determinants of sexual health in this population.

Community participation will be a key pillar: gTt-VIH (a community-based organisation founded in 1997) will coordinate fieldwork, ensuring that the research is carried out with proximity, respect and confidentiality towards participants.

Expected impact

The results of SEXPROM are expected to have an impact at three levels:

• Community: workshops and participatory activities will be organised to share findings and generate proposals from within the community.
• Clinical: findings will allow medical teams to systematically integrate the dimension of sexual health into consultations, thereby improving the quality of life of people living with HIV.
• Scientific: results will be disseminated in conferences and specialised journals, contributing to the international evidence base on sexual health and HIV.

With this study, Catalonia positions itself at the forefront of research on quality of life related to HIV, driving more comprehensive and equitable care.

About the SEXPROM project

The SEXPROM study ("The use of sexuality-related PROMs: a gender-based study in people living with HIV") is led by CEEISCAT with the collaboration of the Grupo de Trabajo sobre Tratamientos del VIH (gTt-VIH) and is being developed in hospitals of the PISCIS Cohort in Catalonia and the Balearic Islands.