Diverse participation in HIV studies at a clinic level, differing to prevailing trends: a retrospective cohort study

The demographics of HIV study participants do not represent the global epidemic: women and minoritised ethnicities are underrepresented. This single-centre retrospective cohort study identified that clinic-level study participation was diverse, differing from prevailing trends. Gender and identifying as MSM (man-who-has-sex-with-men) were not associated with participation. Male participants were younger and more recently diagnosed. Participation in certain ethnicities surpassed the 4.3% average, including Black Caribbean women (8.30%) and Black African men and women (5.20% and 5.80% respectively). Participation patterns aligned with target populations of several ongoing studies. Clinic-level factors including the range of studies ‘on offer’ may contribute to participation diversity.