Health Care-Seeking Behaviors and Perceptions of Provider-Initiated Discussion of Pre-exposure Prophylaxis Among PrEP-Naive HIV-Negative Men Who Have Sex With Men in Atlanta, Georgia
Open Access
- 1 May 2020
- journal article
- research article
- Published by Oxford University Press (OUP) in Open Forum Infectious Diseases
- Vol. 7 (5), ofaa165
- https://doi.org/10.1093/ofid/ofaa165
Abstract
Background. Given high rates of HIV among men who have sex with men (MSM) in the United States, there is a need to more effectively leverage the health care system to bolster promotion of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) to at-risk MSM. Methods. Using data collected from a 2018 venue-based cross-sectional survey, we examined factors associated with health care-seeking behaviors, discussing PrEP with a provider, and barriers to PrEP uptake among MSM. Associations between outcomes and respondents' sociodemographic characteristics and sexual behaviors were assessed using log binomial regression. Results. Of 478 MSM, 247 (51%) were PrEP-naive and HIV-negative. Although 85% of PrEP-naive MSM reported visiting a health care provider in the past year, only 31% recalled having any provider discuss PrEP. The most frequently cited reasons for not taking PrEP were low perception of personal risk of acquiring HIV (37%) and not knowing enough about PrEP (35%). Those who saw a provider in the last year were less likely than those who did not to cite lack of knowledge as a barrier to use (prevalence rate, 0.66, 95% confidence interval, 0.45-0.96). Conclusions. Despite the majority of PrEP-naive MSM interfacing with the health care system, recollection of discussing PrEP with providers was limited. Increased efforts to equip providers with the tools to discuss PrEP and address pressing concerns with at-risk individuals may help improve PrEP uptake among priority populations.Funding Information
- National Institutes of Health (P30AI050409)
This publication has 24 references indexed in Scilit:
- Changes in HIV Preexposure Prophylaxis Awareness and Use Among Men Who Have Sex with Men — 20 Urban Areas, 2014 and 2017Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR), 2019
- Addressing Gaps in HIV Preexposure Prophylaxis Care to Reduce Racial Disparities in HIV Incidence in the United StatesAmerican Journal of Epidemiology, 2018
- Primary Care Providers Have Limited Knowledge About STI Screening And HIV PrEP in Men Who have Sex with MenOpen Forum Infectious Diseases, 2017
- Differing Experiences with Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis in Boston Among Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Specialists and Generalists in Primary Care: Implications for Scale-UpAIDS Patient Care and STDs, 2017
- PrEP Awareness, Familiarity, Comfort, and Prescribing Experience among US Primary Care Providers and HIV SpecialistsAIDS and Behavior, 2016
- HIV Providers’ Perceived Barriers and Facilitators to Implementing Pre-exposure Prophylaxis in Care Settings: A Qualitative StudyAIDS and Behavior, 2014
- Antiretroviral Preexposure Prophylaxis for Heterosexual HIV Transmission in BotswanaThe New England Journal of Medicine, 2012
- Antiretroviral Prophylaxis for HIV Prevention in Heterosexual Men and WomenThe New England Journal of Medicine, 2012
- Development of a Clinical Screening Index Predictive of Incident HIV Infection Among Men Who Have Sex With Men in the United StatesJAIDS Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes, 2012
- Preexposure Chemoprophylaxis for HIV Prevention in Men Who Have Sex with MenThe New England Journal of Medicine, 2010