Towards preparedness for PrEP: PrEP awareness and acceptability among MSM at high risk of HIV transmission who use sociosexual media in four Celtic nations: Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and The Republic of Ireland: an online survey

Jamie S Frankis, Ingrid Young, Karen Lorimer, Mark Davis, Paul Flowers

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34 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Objective To assess the awareness and acceptability of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) among men who have sex with men (MSM) and use sociosexual media at high risk of HIV infection in four Celtic nations.
Design Cross-sectional study. Methods Online self-complete survey of 386 HIVnegative/ status unknown MSM who reported c:ondomless anal intercourse (CAI) with ~2 men in the last year, recruited from gay soc:iosexual media.
Results One-third (34.5%, 1321386) of the participants were aware of PrEP but over half (58.5%, 226/356) reported that they would be willing to use PrEP if it were available to them. Only men who regularly tested for HIV every 6 months (adjusted OR 2.89, 95% Cl 1.54 to 5.42) vvere more likely to be aware of PrEP. PrEP acceptability was only associated with reporting ~5 CAI partners (OR 2.04, 95% Cl 1.2 to 3.46) in the last year.
Conclusions Low levels of PrEP awareness were reported aaoss these Celtic nations. Only one-third of high-risk. MSM had heard of PrEP but over one-half would be willing to take a daily pill to prevent HIV infection. Sociodemographic: factors. commercial gay scene proximity and social network use were unrelated to considering PrEP use. However, those reporting most CAI partners were more likely to consider PrEP use.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)279-285
Number of pages7
JournalSexually Transmitted Infections
Volume92
Issue number4
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2016

Keywords

  • Gay men
  • Health promotion
  • Prophylaxis
  • Sexual behaviour
  • Sexual health

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