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Observational Study
. 2022 Aug 24:10:930208.
doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2022.930208. eCollection 2022.

HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic: Results from a prospective observational study in Germany

M Uhrmacher  1   2 , A Skaletz-Rorowski  1   2 , S Nambiar  1   2 , A J Schmidt  3   4 , P Ahaus  1   2 , K Serova  5 , I Mordhorst  1   2 , A Kayser  1   6 , J Wach  1   7 , C Tiemann  8 , D Münstermann  8 , N H Brockmeyer  1   2 , A Potthoff  1   2
Affiliations
Observational Study

HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic: Results from a prospective observational study in Germany

M Uhrmacher et al. Front Public Health. .

Abstract

Aims: Since 2017, HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) care has been provided through an intersectoral collaboration at WIR (Walk-in-Ruhr, Center for Sexual Health and Medicine, Bochum, Germany). The aim of this study was to establish possible impact of COVID-restrictions on the sexual behavior of PrEP users in North Rhine-Westphalia.

Methods: The current PrEP study collected data of individuals using PrEP, their sexual behavior and sexually transmitted infections (STIs) before (each quarter of year 2018) and during the COVID-19 pandemic (each quarter of year 2020).

Results: During the first lockdown in Germany from mid-March until May 2020, PrEP-care appointments at WIR were postponed or canceled. Almost a third of PrEP users had discontinued their PrEP intake in the 2nd quarter of 2020 due to alteration of their sexual behavior. The number of sexual partners decreased from a median of 14 partners in the previous 6 months in 1st quarter of 2020, to 7 partners in 4th quarter of 2020. Despite such a significant reduction in partner number during the pandemic in comparison to the pre-pandemic period, a steady rate of STIs was observed among PrEP users in 2020.

Conclusion: The SARS-CoV-2-pandemic has impacted PrEP-using MSM in North Rhine-Westphalia with respect to their PrEP intake regimen and sexual behavior in 2020. Our study revealed a steady rate of STI among PrEP users even during the pandemic, thus highlighting the importance of ensuring appropriate HIV/STI prevention services in times of crisis.

Keywords: Chemsex drugs; HIV; MSM; SARS-CoV-2; pandemic (COVID-19); pre-exposure prophylaxis; sexual behavior; sexual transmission infection.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
PrEP intake regimen in the four quarters of 2018 vs. 2020.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Boxplots: number of sexual partners in the four quarters of 2018 vs. 2020.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Median partner number and proportion of PrEP using MSM with positive STI tests (%) in 2018 and 2020.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Sexualized drug use in the four quarters of 2018 vs. 2020.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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