Stakeholders' perspectives on HIV prevention in the Czech Republic: a qualitative study

The present study explores stakeholder perspectives on HIV prevention in the Czech Republic, with a focus on perceived gaps and priorities in current strategies.

Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 11 institutional stakeholders, including representatives of governmental institutions, non-governmental organizations, healthcare providers, insurers, and the pharmaceutical sector. The present study combined qualitative content analysis with quantitative analysis of coded data.

It was determined by stakeholders that men who have sex with men (MSM) represent the primary focus of current HIV prevention efforts. Concurrently, certain stakeholders emphasized the necessity to reinforce preventive measures for additional demographic groups, most notably migrants and heterosexual populations. Transgender individuals and prisoners were mentioned less frequently, indicating their limited visibility in stakeholder discussions. The primary challenges identified included funding constraints, a lack of reimbursement for PrEP, stigma, and inadequate coordination of prevention strategies. These findings are indicative of stakeholder perspectives and should be interpreted as exploratory.

The report identifies areas for further research and potential discussion, particularly regarding the balance of prevention efforts across different population groups and the need for improved coordination and access to prevention tools.