Record numbers accessing HIV prevention treatment

17 Oct 2025 09:54 AM

Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) became routinely available through sexual health clinics in 2020, with NICE recommending the tablets for people at high risk of HIV in 2021.

We have also approved today a two-monthly PrEP injection, offering an alternative for people unable to take daily tablets. This new treatment option will help tackle inequalities and bring England closer to its goal of ending new HIV cases by 2030.

Over 111,000 people accessed PrEP in sexual health clinics in England during 2024, according to the latest HIV surveillance data published by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA). This is a 7.7% increase from 2023 and the largest number since records began in 2021. Most people taking PrEP in 2024 were gay and bisexual men (96,008). New HIV diagnoses fell by 2% in England over the same period, from 2,838 in 2023 to 2,773 in 2024.

Figure 1: Number of people taking PrEP in sexual health services in England. Source: UK Health Security Agency.

What is PrEP?

Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is a daily pill taken by HIV-negative people to prevent HIV infection. It can also be taken on demand before and after sex. The medicine stops the virus from getting into the body and replicating. When taken correctly, daily PrEP is 99% effective.

NHS England rolled out routine PrEP services in specialist sexual health clinics in 2020. In 2021, NICE recommended offering the tablets to people at high risk of catching HIV. Men who have unprotected sex with men and people whose partners have HIV are among those at high risk.

The NICE guideline aimed to raise awareness of PrEP among healthcare professionals and facilitate access to treatment. The guidance recommended regular support for people taking the medicine, including HIV testing and STI screening every three months. It also advised incorporating peer support to normalise PrEP use and reduce stigma.

System partners, including local authorities, NHS England, and healthcare providers, have worked together to expand PrEP access across the country.

The proportion of people at high risk of HIV receiving PrEP has also continued to rise. In 2024, 76% of people at high risk who attended specialist sexual health services in England began or continued the treatment. This is a slight increase from 75% in 2023 and 70% in 2021.

Nearly four in five gay and bisexual men who needed PrEP received it, regardless of whether they were White (79%) or from ethnic minority backgrounds (78%).

However, uptake remained much lower among heterosexuals. Just over one-third of Black African heterosexual women (35%) and men (36%) at high risk of HIV received the treatment.

These record uptake figures demonstrate the growing confidence people have in PrEP as an effective HIV prevention tool. The increased usage shows real progress towards the goal of ending new HIV transmissions in England.

Eric Power, deputy director in NICE's Centre for Guidelines

Eric continued: “The high take-up rate for PrEP among gay and bisexual men is encouraging but we know there is more to be done. Today’s approval of the first injectable preventative option for those people who are unable take tablets is an important step forward. It means people at high risk of HIV now has access to another treatment option."

Figure 2: Proportion of people at high risk of HIV taking PrEP in England, by gender and sexual orientation. Source: UK Health Security Agency.

By sexual orientation, uptake has increased across all groups since 2021. The lowest use was among heterosexual men and women, with less than half of eligible people in this group accessing PrEP in 2024.

Young people less likely to take the treatment

PrEP use has increased in all age groups but remains lower among young people.

Figure 3: Proportion of people at high risk of HIV taking PrEP in England, by age group. Source: UK Health Security Agency.

Only 65% of those aged 15 to 24 at high risk of HIV accessed the treatment in 2024, compared with 81% of people aged 50 to 64.

Our latest data shows HIV prevention is working, with more than 111,000 people taking HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) in 2024, the highest number on record, and new cases continuing to fall. Offering an injectable PrEP option to those who have found oral PrEP difficult due to medical reasons or other barriers will be a game-changer and can accelerate this progress even further.

Dr Tamara Djuretic, head of HIV Section at UKHSA

Dr Djuretic continued: "But we still see big gaps in who's getting protection. White gay and bisexual men have much higher uptake compared to other communities. We all need to work harder to reduce these inequalities and having more prevention options will certainly help.

"Early diagnosis can be lifesaving, so please get regularly tested if you're sexually active so we can end HIV transmission by 2030."