Targeted sexual health outreach in asylum seekers in Hounslow identified high rates of STIs and BBVs, with 9.2% HIV and 12.7% chlamydia prevalence versus 0.17% and 0.29% respectively in England, demonstrating that targeted outreach can improve engagement, testing and care in excluded populations.
HIV prevalence in the asylum seeker cohort was dramatically higher than the general England population.
Chlamydia prevalence in the asylum seeker cohort was substantially higher than in the general England population.
Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, syphilis, and gonorrhoea were also identified in the cohort.
A large proportion of asylum seekers attending the service had significant social vulnerabilities and barriers to healthcare access.
A dedicated outreach model was developed to improve sexual health service access for asylum seekers in Hounslow.
Patterns of STIs in the asylum seeker cohort differed from national trends.
This research describes a sexual health outreach program set up specifically for asylum seekers in the London borough of Hounslow. Clinicians reviewed records of 192 asylum seekers who attended sexual health services over roughly a decade, and also described the development of outreach clinics — including one located very close to a large hotel housing asylum seekers and another opened directly inside the hotel. The study found extremely high rates of HIV (9.2%) and chlamydia (12.7%) compared to rates in the general England population (0.17% and 0.29%, respectively). Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, syphilis, and gonorrhoea were also identified. Many attendees faced significant barriers to healthcare: over 40% needed a translator, nearly 58% were not registered with a GP, and 17% had safeguarding concerns flagged. This research suggests that asylum seekers represent a population with substantially elevated rates of sexually transmitted infections and blood-borne viruses compared to the general population, and that many face significant obstacles in accessing routine healthcare. The finding that more than half were not registered with a GP is particularly notable, as it implies they may have had few other routes to testing and treatment without dedicated outreach. The authors conclude that targeted, community-based outreach — such as opening clinics in or near housing facilities for asylum seekers — can meaningfully improve engagement, testing, and care for this excluded group. This research suggests that proactive, location-specific outreach models may be an important tool for reaching marginalised populations who are unlikely to access standard healthcare pathways.
Ambrose A, Ramshaw S, Bull L, Kotecha A, Dwyer E. (2026). Outcomes from sexual health outreach in asylum seekers in the London borough of Hounslow.. International journal of STD & AIDS. https://doi.org/10.1177/09564624251382060