Abstract
Facilitators and barriers of Pre-exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) uptake have been established in prior studies; however, most of these studies comprise samples of MSM from metropolitan cities and hypothetical PrEP use. There is a dearth of literature on the uptake factors among rural U.S. MSM who are prescribed PrEP. Thirty-four rural Midwestern MSM who currently take PrEP participated in semi-structured telephone interviews about their barriers and facilitators to their PrEP use. Interviews were analyzed using an inductive thematic analysis approach. There were four barriers: (1) lack of rural dissemination of PrEP information, (2) concern about side and adverse effects of using PrEP, (3) cost of PrEP uptake and engagement, and (4) lack of access to PrEP care and PrEP care quality. Individual and social facilitators that participants utilized to overcome these barriers are discussed. Findings elevate the importance of multilevel interventions that address PrEP adoption from a patient, provider, and healthcare system perspective.
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Acknowledgements
We would like to acknowledge the Center for Sexual Health Promotion at Indiana University for funding this study. We would like to acknowledge Megan Hess, Kody Sexton, and Eva Voorheis for transcribing interviews. We would like to acknowledge our recruitment contacts and participants for sharing the study with their social networks.
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This study was funded by the Center for Sexual Health Promotion at Indiana University.
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Owens, C., Hubach, R.D., Williams, D. et al. Facilitators and Barriers of Pre-exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) Uptake Among Rural Men who have Sex with Men Living in the Midwestern U.S.. Arch Sex Behav 49, 2179–2191 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10508-020-01654-6
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10508-020-01654-6