Medical student presents HIV prevention research at ESCMID Global in Munich

Maria Antonia Kalatta, an MD Year 4 student recently presented a research poster at ESCMID Global, the European Congress of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, in Munich, Germany.

The study examines the demographic, behavioural, and clinical profiles of individuals seeking Post-Exposure Prophylaxis (PEP) in Cyprus, aiming to identify gaps in current prevention services.

It was conducted under the supervision of Danny Alon-Ellenbogen, Clinical Associate Professor of Internal Medicine and Infectious Diseases (pictured above) and Annalisa Quattrocchi, Assistant Professor of Epidemiology, as well as Dr Georgios Siakallis, Head of the Gregorios HIV Clinic at Larnaca General Hospital.

Initially presented at the Medical School’s student research conference, the work was subsequently accepted for the poster exhibition at ESCMID Global.

PEP is an emergency 28-day, three-drug antiretroviral regimen that must be initiated within 72 hours following a high-risk HIV exposure to prevent infection.

By analysing 214 individuals who sought PEP at the Gregorios Clinic, the study highlighted that while PEP uptake is high and often timely, reliance on a single centralised service in Larnaca creates significant barriers to access.

Among participants, 85.5% were male, largely identifying as men who have sex with men (MSM), though a notable number of heterosexual individuals also sought care.

While nearly half of the participants presented within the optimal 24-hour window, the study identified critical ‘missed opportunities’ for long-term prevention. Specifically, although 72.9% were willing to attend regular sexual health clinics, only 52.3% were willing to use Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP), and 13.1% had never previously been tested for HIV.

These results underscore the urgent need to decentralise PEP access and integrate PrEP into the General Health System to strengthen HIV prevention efforts in Cyprus.