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The Promise of Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis – Examining Awareness, Knowledge, and Willingness to use Different Modalities Among US-Based African Immigrants

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Abstract

This study aims to describe and understand the relationship between sociodemographic factors and PrEP awareness, and willingness to use a PrEP modality (oral or injectable).Despite the availability of effective prevention tools such as HIV preexposure prophylaxis (PrEP), African immigrants in the United States are disproportionately affected by HIV. Although PrEP can significantly reduce HIV infection in this population, research evidence on PrEP outcomes, such as awareness, knowledge, and willingness to use, is extremely limited. Between April and May 2022, 92 participants completed an online survey assessing their awareness, knowledge, and willingness to use oral or injectable PrEP. The association between sociodemographic characteristics and PrEP-related measures was examined using descriptive and Pearson’s chi-squared or Fisher’s exact tests. Participants (N = 92) were born between 1990 and 1999 (46.7%), female (70.76%) and highly educated (59.6%). About 52.2% were unaware of PrEP, and 65.6% were willing to use a PrEP modality. Findings indicate that individuals who reported being aware of PrEP demonstrated a high level of knowledge regarding the medication. Having a healthcare provider was associated with PrEP awareness and willingness to use, while educational status was associated with PrEP awareness. 51.1% of participants were willing to use an oral pill for prevention and 47.8% were willing to use injectable PrEP. Our findings highlight the need for PrEP-related research and interventions for African immigrants to increase awareness and provide options for HIV prevention, as African immigrants are currently not well-represented in PrEP delivery systems in the US.

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Data Availability

The datasets generated and/or analyzed during the current study are not publicly available due to it still being used for primary analyses but are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

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Acknowledgements

The authors wish to thank the participants who generously contributed their time, and Iyobosa Ekhator for her help with recruitment.

Funding

This work was supported by the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences of the National Institutes of Health under award number UL1TR001412 to the University at Buffalo.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Center for Interdisciplinary Research on AIDS, School of Public Health, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, CT, 06510, USA

    Gloria Aidoo-Frimpong

  2. School of Nursing, University at Buffalo, State University of New York, Buffalo, NY, USA

    Kafuli Agbemenu

  3. CDC Prevention Research Center, School of Public Health, Center for Health Promotion and Prevention Research, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth), Houston, TX, USA

    David Adzrago

  4. School of Nursing, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA

    Samuel Akyirem & LaRon E. Nelson

  5. Bridgeport Hospital/ Yale New Haven Health, Department of Medicine, Bridgeport, CT, USA

    Sarpong Boateng

Authors
  1. Gloria Aidoo-Frimpong
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  2. Kafuli Agbemenu
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  3. David Adzrago
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  4. Samuel Akyirem
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  5. Sarpong Boateng
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  6. LaRon E. Nelson
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Contributions

The authors confirm contribution to the paper as follows: study conception and design: Gloria Aidoo-Frimpong, Kafuli Agbemenu, LaRon E. Nelson; data collection: Gloria Aidoo-Frimpong, Kafuli Agbemenu; analysis and interpretation of results: David Adzrago, Sarpong Boateng, Samuel Akyirem; draft manuscript preparation: Gloria Aidoo-Frimpong, Kafuli Agbemenu, Sarpong Boateng, David Adzrago, Samuel Akyirem; draft manuscript revision and finalization: Gloria Aidoo-Frimpong, Kafuli Agbemenu, and Laron E. Nelson. All authors have read and approved the submitted version of the manuscript. All authors have read and approved the submitted version of the manuscript.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Gloria Aidoo-Frimpong.

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Ethics Approval

This work is in accordance with the ethical standards of the University at Buffalo’s institutional review board and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments.

Consent to Participate

Informed Consent was obtained from all participants.

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The authors report there are no competing interests to declare.

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Aidoo-Frimpong, G., Agbemenu, K., Adzrago, D. et al. The Promise of Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis – Examining Awareness, Knowledge, and Willingness to use Different Modalities Among US-Based African Immigrants. J Immigrant Minority Health 25, 1331–1338 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10903-023-01515-z

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