SJD Sant Boi Hospital consolidates HIV care with nearly 250 patients

With nearly 250 people treated, the HIV Unit at the Sant Joan de Déu Sant Boi Hospital stands out for its strong focus on prevention: more than 70% are part of the PrEP program, the preventive treatment that reduces the risk of HIV infection.

In the context of regional hospitals in Catalonia, these figures place the center as a relevant actor in the fight against HIV, especially for its ability to deploy preventive and community models.

This data demonstrates the center's healthcare capacity and its adaptation to new public health needs. The model goes beyond treatment and incorporates prevention as a key focus.

A comprehensive model thanks to the alliance with Sant Boi en Positiu

A significant part of this impact is also the result of the joint work with the NGO Sant Boi in Positiu TransHIV. The collaboration agreement between the entity and the Infectious Diseases Unit allows to deploy a model of bidirectional work that integrates the healthcare and community areas.

Since May of last year, this coordination has facilitated 41 referrals: 31 people have accessed PrEP and 10 have been referred for diagnosis of other sexually transmitted infections. The circuit combines early diagnosis, community support and specialized medical monitoring.

“We have a referral protocol: people are tested at the NGO and, if they are positive, they are referred to us so that we can follow up, and we also refer patients who can benefit from community support”, explains Dr. Vicens Díaz de Brito, head of the Infectious Diseases Service. “Talking to a person who is also living with HIV has fascinating results, because it is often a very restorative process,” he adds.

This approach allows people to be cared for in a comprehensive manner and incorporates both clinical care and emotional and social support. This element is key to combating the stigma associated with HIV.

Mortals +: art and community to make visible what is often unseen

In this context, the Hospital lobby welcomes until the end of July Mortals +, an exhibition driven by the Suñol Foundation and the Gloria Soler Foundation which reflects this commitment to the community.

The project, led by artist Albert Potrony and cultural manager Roser Sanjuan, includes a process of collective work with people linked to HIV and with the active participation of Sant Boi en Positiu. This involvement allows us to incorporate the first-person voice and transfer the community experience to artistic expression.

“The exhibition was born from the need to share experiences: desire, losses, stigma... everything that still crosses the lives of many people living with HIV today”, explains Ivan Herrador, president of Sant Boi en Positiu TransVIH.

Installed in a passageway, the exhibition invites you to stop and opens a space for collective reflection. Beyond its artistic dimension, it becomes an awareness-raising tool that connects art, health and memory and strengthens the link between the Hospital and its environment.

ART Tastings: culture and health in the territory

Mortals + is part of the second edition of ART tastings, which since the beginning of May has been bringing cultural and community projects to the territory through a free program open to everyone.

The initiative is part of the program Peripheries, of Torrents of Art, the Arts in Health program of the Sant Joan de Deu Health Park, and highlights the potential of art as a tool for well-being, expression and social transformation, especially in contexts of vulnerability.

With proposals like this, the Sant Joan de Déu Health Park reaffirms its commitment to the Arts in Health and a view of health that integrates the cultural and community dimension.