In Paris, where the Seine winds past centuries-old bridges and cafés buzz with afternoon conversations, HIV is no longer the death sentence it once was. But behind the elegant facades of Le Marais and the quiet courtyards of Montmartre, a quiet battle still rages-one fought not just with medicine, but with silence, fear, and outdated beliefs. Today, thanks to widespread access to PrEP and free testing centers, new infections in France have dropped by 35% since 2015. Yet in Paris alone, nearly 4,000 new cases were diagnosed in 2024, with nearly half of them in men who have sex with men. The progress is real. The barriers? Just as stubborn.
Testing Is Free, Fast, and Everywhere-But Too Few Use It
Paris has over 120 free HIV testing centers, from the bustling Paris HIV Testing Center on Rue du Faubourg-Saint-Denis to mobile units parked outside the Gare du Nord and the Palais Royal. Many offer rapid results in under 20 minutes. Pharmacies like Pharmacie du Marché Saint-Germain and Pharmacie du Châtelet distribute self-test kits without a prescription. You can walk in, pay nothing, and leave with your results before your coffee gets cold.
So why do an estimated 25% of people living with HIV in France still don’t know their status? The answer isn’t lack of access-it’s stigma. In neighborhoods like Belleville and La Villette, where immigrant communities are strong, HIV is still whispered about as something that happens to "others." A 2023 study by Santé Publique France found that 42% of people aged 18-30 in Paris feared being judged by family if they got tested. That fear keeps people from walking into a clinic, even when the service is free and confidential.
PrEP Is Available-But Not Everyone Knows How to Get It
Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) has changed the game. Since 2016, France has made PrEP available through the national health system, fully covered for those at risk. In Paris, clinics like AP-HP Hôpital Avicenne in Bobigny and Centre Médical LGBT in the 11th arrondissement offer PrEP consultations with no waiting list. You don’t need a referral. You just need to ask.
Yet, a 2024 survey by AIDES found that only 38% of men who have sex with men in Paris were aware that PrEP was free and available without a doctor’s note. Many still think they need a specialist, or believe it’s only for "promiscuous" people. That myth persists even though PrEP is now recommended for anyone who has condomless sex with partners of unknown status. In the 10th arrondissement, where the nightlife is loud and the connections are quick, PrEP could be preventing dozens of new infections every month-if only more people knew how easy it is to get.
The Silence Around Women and Older Adults
Most HIV campaigns in France focus on gay men. But in Paris, nearly 30% of new HIV diagnoses in 2024 were among women. Many are heterosexual, often in long-term relationships, and assume they’re not at risk. A woman in her 50s living in the 15th arrondissement might never think to get tested-until she’s diagnosed after a routine blood draw during a menopause checkup.
Older adults are even more invisible. In France, people over 50 account for 15% of new HIV cases, and in Paris, many of them are diagnosed late-because neither they nor their doctors think HIV is a concern for their age group. At Centre Hospitalier Sainte-Anne, geriatricians are now being trained to routinely offer HIV tests to patients over 60. But awareness is still low. A retired teacher in the 14th arrondissement told an interviewer last year: "I thought HIV was something from the 80s. I didn’t know I could get it now."
Stigma Still Lives in the Waiting Rooms
Even in places meant to help, judgment lingers. A man in his 30s from the 18th arrondissement went to a public clinic for an STI screening and was asked by a nurse, "Are you sure you’re not gay?"-as if that were the only reason someone would get tested. That kind of comment doesn’t just hurt-it keeps people away.
Paris has made strides with LGBTQ+-friendly spaces like Le Refuge in the 11th, which offers counseling and testing without judgment. But outside these safe zones, bias still exists. In some suburban clinics in the 93rd department, patients report being treated like suspects rather than patients. That’s why peer-led networks like Act Up-Paris and Paris Gay Pride have become lifelines. They don’t just organize marches-they run outreach vans, train volunteers to talk to neighbors, and host monthly "Test & Talk" events in community centers like the Maison des Associations du 19e.
What’s Working-And What’s Still Broken
France’s HIV strategy has three pillars: prevention, testing, and treatment. All three are strong on paper. But execution is uneven. In Paris, you can walk into any public hospital and get antiretroviral therapy within days. The drugs are free. The side effects are manageable. People who start treatment early live full, healthy lives.
But the system doesn’t reach everyone equally. Migrants without papers often avoid clinics out of fear of deportation-even though French law protects medical confidentiality. In 2024, Médecins du Monde reported that 1 in 5 undocumented people living with HIV in Paris weren’t on treatment because they were too scared to seek help.
And while apps like Doctolib make booking appointments easy, they don’t help people who don’t have smartphones, or who don’t speak French well. In the 13th arrondissement, where many Chinese and Vietnamese residents live, community health workers now offer HIV education in Mandarin and Vietnamese. That’s the kind of targeted effort that works.
What You Can Do-Right Now
If you live in Paris, here’s what you can do today:
- Get tested. Walk into any pharmacy and pick up a self-test kit. Or go to sante.fr to find the nearest free testing center.
- Ask your doctor for PrEP if you’re sexually active and not using condoms consistently. No shame. No paperwork.
- If you’re HIV-positive, start treatment. It’s free. It saves lives. And it stops transmission.
- If you know someone who’s afraid to get tested, don’t lecture. Just say: "I went last month. It took 15 minutes. You can too."
- Support local groups like AIDES, Act Up-Paris, or Le Refuge. Volunteer. Donate. Show up.
There’s no magic bullet. But Paris has the tools. It just needs people to use them-and to stop treating HIV like a secret.
Is HIV testing really free in Paris?
Yes. All public HIV testing centers in Paris, including those run by AP-HP hospitals, AIDES, and local health departments, offer free testing with no ID or insurance required. Self-test kits are also free at participating pharmacies like Pharmacie du Marché Saint-Germain and Pharmacie du Châtelet.
Can undocumented immigrants get HIV treatment in Paris?
Yes. French law guarantees access to medical care for everyone, regardless of immigration status. HIV treatment is fully covered under the state’s Aide Médicale d’État (AME). Clinics like Médecins du Monde and SOS Médecins specifically help undocumented people navigate the system without fear of reporting.
How do I get PrEP in Paris without seeing a specialist?
You don’t need a specialist. Any general practitioner, nurse, or pharmacist in Paris can prescribe PrEP. You can also visit the Centre Médical LGBT in the 11th arrondissement or use Doctolib to book a 15-minute consultation. PrEP is fully covered by the national health system-no out-of-pocket cost.
Are HIV rates rising in Paris?
No. New HIV infections in Paris have dropped 35% since 2015 thanks to PrEP and better testing. But progress has stalled in the last two years. In 2024, around 4,000 new cases were diagnosed in the city-mostly among men who have sex with men, women in long-term relationships, and older adults who weren’t tested.
Where can I find anonymous HIV support in Paris?
Le Refuge (11th arrondissement) offers peer counseling for LGBTQ+ people. AIDES runs free support groups in multiple arrondissements, including the 19th and 20th. You can also call the national helpline at 0 800 840 800 (free, anonymous, 24/7). All services are confidential and available in multiple languages.
What Comes Next
The next step isn’t more campaigns. It’s more conversations. In the cafés of Saint-Germain-des-Prés, in the metro between Gare de Lyon and Châtelet, in the apartment buildings of the 13th-people need to talk about HIV like they talk about the flu: something you can catch, something you can prevent, something you can treat. Not a moral failure. Not a death sentence. Just a health issue.
Paris has the knowledge. It has the medicine. It has the networks. What’s missing is the willingness to break the silence. One test. One conversation. One person who says, "I’m getting tested. Want to come with me?"