Key Barriers to Women’s Access to HIV Treatment: Making ‘Fact-Track’ a Reality

It is essential to understand the barriers to and facilitators of women’s access to ART, so that individual choices about when and whether to start, and continue with, treatment translate into positive mental and physical health outcomes for the woman, as well as benefiting public health.

In this review, socio-structural factors were explored at macro-, meso- and micro-levels in order to better understand the experiences women living with HIV have of treatment availability and their decision-making around uptake, and to assess how treatment programmes affect their lives. Removing barriers and changing policies and programmes to align with best practices will contribute substantially to efforts for the achievement of global goals such as the ‘90-90-90’ UNAIDS ‘Fast-Track’ targets.