1. Reasons Why Young Men Who Have Sex with Men Report Not Using HIV Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis: Perceptions of Burden, Need, and Safety
- Author
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Maria Luisa Mittal, Jennifer K. Felner, Martin Hoenigl, K. Rivet Amico, Alex Eanes, Jessica Crawford, Kristen Hess, and Laramie R. Smith
- Subjects
Adult ,Male ,Safe Sex ,Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice ,medicine.medical_specialty ,Anti-HIV Agents ,media_common.quotation_subject ,Social Stigma ,Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) ,HIV Infections ,Hiv testing ,Hiv risk ,medicine.disease_cause ,Men who have sex with men ,Interviews as Topic ,03 medical and health sciences ,Pre-exposure prophylaxis ,0302 clinical medicine ,Perception ,Humans ,Medicine ,030212 general & internal medicine ,Homosexuality, Male ,Adverse effect ,Qualitative Research ,media_common ,030505 public health ,business.industry ,Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health ,Hispanic or Latino ,Patient Acceptance of Health Care ,United States ,Infectious Diseases ,Feeling ,Behavioral and Psychosocial Research ,Family medicine ,Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis ,0305 other medical science ,business ,Risk Reduction Behavior - Abstract
Uptake of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) has dramatically increased but remains well below the estimated number of individuals who could benefit from PrEP in the United States, and uptake remains limited among young men who have sex with men (YMSM) and MSM of color. Reasons for not adopting PrEP as a prevention strategy among those at elevated risk for HIV is an important area of inquiry that could advise efforts to better position PrEP as an active part of prevention programs. As part of a mixed methods study investigating experiences with repeat HIV testing, we identified main themes emerging from in-depth interview data pertaining to reasons why YMSM report not using PrEP, among YMSM with frequent access to HIV testing services. Themes from 14 in-depth interviews with predominantly Latino MSM for not using PrEP included perceived burden of daily dosing, feeling that risk was not high enough to warrant PrEP, and beliefs that PrEP would have severe adverse events affecting the kidneys and bones. Less prominent but noteworthy themes included stigma as a PrEP user, social or provider influence on decisions not to use PrEP, and preference for current prevention strategy. No differences in PrEP discourse were noted across those at different levels of HIV risk. Results suggest that efforts are needed to engage communities and individuals around PrEP-related education, facilitate risk evaluation, and reduce PrEP stigma. New formulations and nondaily regimens may also be of particular interest to YMSM who may perceive daily PrEP regimens as highly burdensome.
- Published
- 2019
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