SHIP

HIV self-testing is opening doors to #PrEP—but not equally for everyone.

Data from SAIL TelePrEP (January to September 2025, n=4,955) shows that HIV self-testing is a powerful gateway into PrEP: 2 in 3 clients who came in for self-testing chose to combine it with PrEP on the spot.

Who was most likely to say yes to PrEP?

Clients aged 45 years and older (4.7x more likely)

Employed and student clients

Those reporting condomless sex or shared needle use—meaning risk-informed decision support is working

But geography still matters. The SAIL Clinics operate in Metro Manila and Region 4-A. Clients residing outside these areas had significantly lower odds of choosing PrEP, even after accounting for demographics and risk, serving as a reminder that digital health still runs into very physical barriers.

The takeaway: HIV self-testing accessed via remote platforms like TelePrEP and other telehealth options are meeting people where they are—we now need regional PrEP hubs to meet them where they live.

At the #AIDS2026 poster exhibition, SHIP’s Dr. Patrick Eustaquio presented our study exploring how geographical mobility influences HIV testing outcomes among men who have sex with men and among transgender women accessing HIV services.

The analysis included more than 15,500 clients from the SAIL Clinics, a network of community-based clinics strategically located near major transport hubs in the Greater Metro Manila area. By operating where people travel, work, and connect, these clinics are uniquely positioned to serve highly mobile communities.

Dr. Eustaquio conveyed the study’s findings, which showed that people being screened for HIV for the first time were more likely to have a reactive HIV screening result than repeat testers, particularly among the clinics’ local residents and transient clients. These results truly highlight the importance of designing HIV services that reflect how people live and move, and how they access care.

At #AIDS2026‘s oral abstract session entitled “Loved by users, limited by systems: Qualitative insights into LAI-PrEP [Long-Acting Injectable Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis],” our SHIPmate, Dr. Rod Olete moderated the discussion in the panel, who all came from communities working to make long-acting prevention a reality everywhere.

Insights were brought by the experts, tackling the issues of convenience and discretion versus efficacy, injection discomfort, and even the adoption of LAI-PrEP in communities affected by conflict and displacement. The panel highly agreed that the real barriers for these HIV prevention options are structural—the concerns being cost, insurance, mobility, and stigma, and not personal reluctance.

As the Philippines prepares for the national rollout of the LAI-PrEP medication, lenacapavir, this year, the lesson from the session and the International AIDS Conference becomes clear: Access has to be built with the same intention as the science. Choice only means something if the system delivers it.

#HIVprevention#LAIPrEP#Lenacapavir#AIDS2026#SHIP

Sustained Health Initiatives of the Philippines (SHIP) was selected as a recipient of the inaugural Community Innovation Award by Grindr for Equality, presented during #AIDS2026 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil! Mohan Sundararaj, Managing Director of Grindr for Equality, and Jen Hecht, Cofounder & Director of Building Healthy Online Communities (BHOC), presented the award to SHIP’s Medical Director, Dr. Kate Leyritana, together with the Director for Clinical Programs, Dr. Patrick Eustaquio, and Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability, Research, and Learning Specialist, Dr. Rod Olete.

The Grindr for Equality Awards celebrate individuals’ and organizations’ valuable work in shaping our HIV response, giving special recognition to “exceptional leadership advancing HIV prevention, LGBTQ+ health equity, and access to care worldwide.”

With the honor of the Community Innovation Award and the support of Grindr for Equality, SHIP is bolstered even more to continue bridging HIV self-testing, PrEP, and mental health support to those who need it most, and strengthened to further serve as a model in its innovative and community-centered approaches to HIV prevention and healthcare.

“When the roadmap meets reality.” 🦜

At #AIDS2026 in Rio de Janeiro, SHIP’s Rod Olete presented at the conference’s Satellite session of “Barriers and Facilitators of Person-Centred Care for Key and Vulnerable Populations.”

Sharing years of data from the SAIL Clinics and SAIL TelePrEP, Dr. Olete imparted how same-day ART initiation drives better outcomes, especially for the populations who need HIV healthcare the most: transgender and gender-diverse clients, unemployed clients, and clients outside Metro Manila.

He also shared how TelePrEP access grew 435% from 2023 to 2026, and is now formally recognized under the DOH Administrative Order 2026-0005 as a differentiated mode of PrEP service delivery.

With these findings from SHIP’s initiatives and successes, he underlined how person-centered care and community-led care work—peer navigation, telehealth logistics, outreach, and infrastructure—needs real financial investment and domestic support.

With Dr. Olete and the rest of the SHIP crew, we are proud to bring SAIL’s community-led model to the global stage! #TogetherWeSAIL! 🚢⛵