They are Nigerian, Guinean, Cameroonian and Ivorian. Caroline Andoum does not hesitate to call women from Ile-de-France, Libya or the Italian island of Lampedusa “speak rudely”. She discusses with them their sexual health and ways to protect themselves from AIDS. MMe Andoum is general director of Bamesso et ses amis, a health association based in Blanc-Mesnil (Seine-Saint-Denis). During the 1stum December is World AIDS Day and 2023 marks the fortieth anniversary of the discovery of the virus. It has much to do to prevent infections among migrant women, who remain among the most difficult populations to access prevention and treatment.
Accordingly the report published on November 28 by Public Health France (SPF).In 2022, between 4,200 and 5,700 people will have their HIV status determined. That is fewer than in 2019 “encouraging about the dynamics of the epidemic”, according to the agency. However, “Over the entire period 2012-2022, the number of discoveries among foreign-born heterosexual women is almost stable”according to SPF, while it decreased among French-born men who have sex with men (MSM), French-born heterosexual women, drug users and heterosexual men.
Women therefore represent 31% of new HIV-positive discoveries. Many of them come from sub-Saharan Africa. “A significant amount of contamination occurs after migration”refers to SPF, which refers to the ANRS course study 2015 Estimates for this rate for women in the region are between 25 and 35%.
“There is a blind spot”
The men these women meet in France are often part of their community and suffer from high HIV prevalence. However, Caroline Andoum points out that women who arrive without documents and resources are in a weak position to negotiate condoms with their partners if they refuse them. This is even more true when they prostitute themselves to survive.
In these conditions, taking a tablet daily as part of a preventive treatment through pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), approved in France since 2016 and reimbursed by social security, has the double advantage of not being associated with sexual intercourse They women take control of their protection. It is still necessary to make it known, and “We can only be efficient with community associations”said Doctor Thomas Huleux, head of the infectious diseases office at the Seine-Saint-Denis departmental council.
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