Glam Squad brings HIV testing into everyday self‑care for Black women 

Events held in Lambeth and across London have helped hundreds of Black women access free health checks, advice and HIV testing through Glam Squad events, many for the first time, leaving them better informed, confident and empowered to take control of their health. Early results show a significant shift in knowledge and intent, with 99 per cent of women reporting feeling more informed about HIV prevention, and 96 per cent saying they were likely to book regular health checks, including HIV tests.

Beauty and health: bringing HIV testing to communities

This work builds directly on the findings of the 2025 Do It London Towards Equity report, which highlighted persistent inequalities in HIV prevention, awareness and testing among Black heritage communities. The report also underscored the impact of medical mistrust, stigma and discrimination, which can discourage engagement with traditional health services.

In response, the London HIV Prevention Programme (LHPP), which is hosted by Lambeth Council, has spearheaded award-winning campaigns to reframe HIV and sexual health as part of broader health and wellbeing, helping to normalise conversations and reduce stigma.

LHPP-funded Glam Squad events put this into action—pairing free nail, style and makeup consultations, with a curated collective of trusted Black beauty stylists, makeup artists, and nail artists with health testing across general health, sexual health and HIV, involving trained community nurses and specialists in HIV to cement the offer.

Delivered by Multicultural Marketing Consultancy in partnership with the One Voice Network’s ‘Skin Like Mine’ campaign, the events took place diverse neighbourhoods, including Morleys department store in Brixton and Peckham Palms in Southwark, prioritising meeting people where they are, in familiar, everyday spaces such as shopping centres, while offering an engaging, culturally relevant draw through beauty treatments. This approach removes barriers identified in the report, such as inaccessible services, fear of judgement and lack of culturally competent support.

Florence Famurewa, owner of Beat by Flo, who provided makeup services to attendees, said: “My time with Glam Squad was such an empowering and meaningful experience. I love how we were able to create a safe and uplifting environment for women to feel confident and cared for. I loved every minute and would do it over and over again.”

What this means for Black Londoners

For Black communities across London, Glam Squad represents a new, more inclusive model of healthcare. This approach supports Lambeth and Southwark’s broader work to reduce health inequalities by increasing access to free, on-the-spot HIV testing and health checks; creating culturally safe, stigma-free environments; and building confidence to engage with health services earlier and more regularly.

With nearly 1,000 new HIV diagnoses in London in 2024, disproportionately affecting Black communities, and particularly Black women, this work is a vital step towards improving early diagnosis and long-term health outcomes.

Across the four events, the teams held over 600 one-to-one conversations with Black women, provided 96 beauty treatments, and 253 health MOT checks (including blood pressure, diabetes, cholesterol) and 62 HIV tests.

Councillor Jeremy Isaacs, Lambeth’s joint Cabinet Member for Health and Adult Social Care, said:

“Glam Squad events are a powerful example of how we can rethink access to healthcare by meeting people where they are, listening to communities, and building services around trust and cultural relevance.

“This initiative sits at the heart of our commitment in Lambeth to reduce health inequalities and ensure everyone can access care in a way that feels safe, welcoming and inclusive.”

What next for HIV prevention?

The Glam Squad events and wider Skin Like Mine programme show that when services are designed with communities, not just for them, healthcare becomes more accessible, more trusted and more effective.

The London HIV Prevention programme has commissioned the One Voice Network to deliver the Skin Like Mine programme for London’s Black communities, and Positive East and Spectra to deliver outreach activity for gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men in London.

Find out more at www.doitlondon.org