Positive Sources of PrEP Awareness Include Partners, Peers, Health Promotions

Sexual partners, social networks, and health campaigns offer promise for advancing human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), according to study findings published in The Journal of Sex Research.

Researchers surveyed 331 HIV-negative sexual and gender minorities who have sex with men at a Midwestern Pride festival in 2018 about sources of PrEP information, perceptions of tone, and views on PrEP uptake. Two-thirds of respondents were White, and 87% were cisgender men.

According to the study, 88% of respondents had heard about PrEP. The internet (70%), social media (59%), and friends (54%) were the most common sources.

“Messages from health campaigns were perceived as most positive,” wrote lead and corresponding author Jennifer L. Walsh, PhD, of the Center for AIDS Intervention Research at the Medical College of Wisconsin Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine, and coauthors, “and those from religious institutions as least positive.”

Stigma surrounding PrEP was lower among respondents who heard about PrEP from health campaigns and respondents who heard more positive messages, the study found.

Intentions to use PrEP were stronger among nonusers who heard about it on the internet. Meanwhile, nonusers who learned about PrEP from sexual partners and health campaigns expressed a higher likelihood of discussing it with providers.

“Finally,” reported researchers, “those who heard about PrEP from friends and partners were more likely to use PrEP.”

Reference:
Walsh JL, Zarwell M, John SA, Quinn KG. Sources of information about pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and associations with PrEP stigma, intentions, provider discussions, and use in the United States. J Sex Res. Published online August 29, 2022. doi:10.1080/00224499.2022.2110208