In 2019, the HIV pandemic continues to grow and by 2025, over 40 million people are estimated to be living with HIV. Marginalized populations—including but not limited to gay men, men who have sex with men, people who use drugs, sex workers, and transgender women—account for nearly half of all new HIV infections globally. One in three new cases occur in young people aged 15 to 24. Among those living with or at risk of HIV, marginalized populations and young people are often least likely to obtain life-saving prevention and treatment services.
While there has been a significant response to HIV over the past two decades, engagement with non-biomedical technologies remains sporadic and uncoordinated. Collective efforts continue to focus on in-person service delivery, but 20th century methods have proven both inefficient and insufficient to reach those at highest risk of HIV. Today, it is clear that changing the trajectory of the pandemic requires a disruptive approach.