Healthcare Provider Contact and Pre-exposure Prophylaxis in Baltimore Men Who Have Sex With Men.
BACKGROUND
Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) safely and effectively prevents HIV in populations at high risk, including men who have sex with men (MSM). PrEP scale-up depends upon primary care providers and community-based organizations (CBOs) sharing PrEP information. This study aimed to determine whether healthcare provider or CBO contact was associated with PrEP awareness among Baltimore MSM.


METHODS
This study used 2014 Baltimore MSM National HIV Behavioral Surveillance data, which included data on health care, HIV and sexually transmitted infection testing, and receipt of condoms from CBOs. In 2015, associations were estimated between healthcare contacts and PrEP awareness through logistic regression models controlling for age, race, and education and clustering by venue. Comparative analyses were conducted with HIV testing as outcome.


RESULTS
There were 401 HIV-negative participants, of whom 168 (42%) were aware of PrEP. Visiting a healthcare provider in the past 12 months, receiving an HIV test from a provider, and having a sexually transmitted infection test in the past 12 months were not significantly associated with PrEP awareness. PrEP awareness was associated with being out to a healthcare provider (OR=2.97, 95% CI=1.78, 4.96, p<0.001); being tested for HIV (OR=1.50, 95% CI=1.06, 2.13, p=0.023); and receiving condoms from an HIV/AIDS CBO (OR=2.59, 95% CI=1.43, 4.64, p=0.001). By contrast, HIV testing was significantly associated with most forms of healthcare contact.


CONCLUSIONS
PrEP awareness is not associated with most forms of healthcare contact, highlighting the need for guidelines and trainings to support provider discussion of PrEP with MSM.
Epidemiology Department, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland.
Julia R G
JR
Raifman
Center for HIV Surveillance, Epidemiology, and Evaluation, Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, Baltimore, Maryland.
Colin
C
Flynn
Department of Health Behavior, and Society, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland. Electronic address: dgerman@jhsph.edu.
Danielle
D
German
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015142:Baltimore; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000517:prevention & control*; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care; D065129:Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis; D000072339:Sexual and Gender Minorities; D055815:Young Adult
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