Dataset Information

Student Education About Pre-exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) Varies Between Regions of the United States.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Daily, oral pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is an effective and safe prevention strategy for people at risk for HIV. However, prescription of PrEP has been limited for patients at the highest risk. Disparities in PrEP prescription are pronounced among racial and gender minority patients. A significant body of literature indicates that practicing healthcare providers have little awareness and knowledge of PrEP. Very little work has investigated the education about PrEP among health professionals in training.

Objective

The objective of this study was to compare health professions students' awareness of PrEP and education about PrEP between regions of the US, and to determine if correlations between regional HIV incidence and PrEP use were present.

Design

Survey study.

Participants

A cross-sectional sample of health professions students (N = 1859) representing future prescribers (MD, DO, PA), pharmacists, and nurses in the US.

Key results

Overall, 83.4% of students were aware of PrEP, but only 62.2% of fourth-year students indicated they had been taught about PrEP at any time during their training. Education about PrEP was most comprehensive in the Northeastern US, the area with the highest PrEP to need ratio (4.7). In all regions, transgender patients and heterosexual men and women were least likely to be presented in education as PrEP candidates, and men who have sex with men were the most frequently presented.

Conclusions

There are marked differences in education regarding PrEP both between academic programs and regions of the USA.

SUBMITTER: Bunting SR

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7573046 | biostudies-literature |

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Project description:BACKGROUND:Despite evidence supporting pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) efficacy, there are concerns regarding the feasibility of widespread PrEP implementation among men who have sex with men (MSM). To inform the development of targeted PrEP delivery guidelines, sexual risk trajectories among HIV-negative MSM were characterized. METHODS:At semiannual visits from 2003 to 2011, HIV-negative MSM (N = 419) participating in the Multicenter AIDS Cohort Study provided data on sexual risk behaviors (SRBs) since their last visit. Based on their reported behaviors, participants were assigned a SRB score at each visit as follows: 0 = no insertive or receptive anal intercourse, 1 = no unprotected insertive or receptive anal intercourse, 2 = only unprotected insertive anal intercourse, 3 = unprotected receptive anal intercourse with 1 HIV-negative partner, 4 = condom serosorting, 5 = condom seropositioning, and 6 = no seroadaptive behaviors. Group-based trajectory modeling was used to examine SRB scores (<4 vs. ?4) and identify groups with distinct sexual risk trajectories. RESULTS:Three sexual risk trajectory groups were identified: low-risk (n = 264; 63.0%), moderate-risk (n = 96; 22.9%; mean duration of consecutive high-risk intervals ?1 year), and high-risk (n = 59; 14.1%; mean duration of consecutive high-risk intervals ?2 years). Compared to low-risk group membership, high-risk group membership was associated with younger age (in years) [adjusted odds ratio (AOR) = 0.92, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.88 to 0.96], being White (AOR = 3.67, 95% CI: 1.48 to 9.11), earning an income ?$20,000 (AOR = 4.98, 95% CI: 2.13 to 11.64), distress/depression symptoms (Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale ? 16) (AOR = 2.36, 95% CI: 1.14 to 4.92), and substance use (AOR = 2.00, 95% CI: 1.01 to 3.97). CONCLUSIONS:Screening for the sociodemographic and behavioral factors described above may facilitate targeted PrEP delivery during high-risk periods among MSM.