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. 2019 Jul;23(7):1893-1903.
doi: 10.1007/s10461-019-02411-0.

Pre-exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) Awareness and Use Within High HIV Transmission Networks

Kellie Schueler  1 , Matthew Ferreira  2 , Georgios Nikolopoulos  3 , Britt Skaathun  4 , Dimitrios Paraskevis  5 , Angelos Hatzakis  5 , Samuel R Friedman  6 , John A Schneider  7   8   9
Affiliations

Pre-exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) Awareness and Use Within High HIV Transmission Networks

Kellie Schueler et al. AIDS Behav. 2019 Jul.

Abstract

Improved implementation of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) should be a valuable tool within communities experiencing high HIV incidence, such as black men who have sex with men (MSM). Using baseline data from the Chicago arm of the Transmission Reduction Intervention Project (TRIP), we examined awareness and use of PrEP within HIV potential transmission networks. Transmission Reduction Intervention Project recruited participants ages 18-69 (N = 218) during 2014-2016 from networks originating from recently and chronically HIV-infected MSM and transgender persons. In total, 53.2% of participants had heard of PrEP, while 8 (6.5%) HIV-negative participants reported ever using PrEP. In multivariable regression, PrEP awareness was associated with identifying as gay, attending some college or higher, having an HIV test in the previous 6 months, and experiencing HIV-related social support. PrEP awareness was not associated with experiencing or observing HIV-related stigma. PrEP use was associated with participants knowing two or more other PrEP-users. These findings demonstrate moderate awareness, but low uptake of PrEP within HIV potential transmission networks in Chicago. Future research should explore how to increase PrEP use in these networks and investigate the social dynamics behind our finding that PrEP users are more likely to know other PrEP users.

Keywords: African American; Black; Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV); Men who have sex with men (MSM); Network analysis; Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP).

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1. PrEP-Networks in the Chicago arm of the Transmission Reduction Intervention Project (TRIP).
This figure demonstrates the network connections between participants in the Transmission Reduction Intervention Project (TRIP). PrEP-Networks are those highlighted in the figure that contain a PrEP-user. A “one-away” connections reflects a participant that was recruited to the study by a PrEP-using participant. A “two-away” connection reflects a participant that was then recruited to the study by these “one-away” connections.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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