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Clinical Treatment Options Infectious Diseases: Update on PrEP Implementation, Adherence, and Advances in Delivery

  • HIV Medicine (CJ Yoon, Section Editor)
  • Published:
Current Treatment Options in Infectious Diseases Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Opinion statement

Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is an effective and evidence-based HIV prevention option and is recommended for individuals with substantial risk for HIV infection [1]. Randomized controlled trials have demonstrated that daily oral PrEP dramatically reduces the risk of HIV infection when it is taken as directed. Concerns regarding widespread emergence of antiretroviral resistance attributable to PrEP and behavioral disinhibition have to date not been observed in clinical trials and open-label demonstration projects. PrEP has great potential as part of an HIV risk reduction strategy, and barriers to wider implementation including community education, prescriber availability, and elimination of financial barriers should be aggressively pursued. Adherence is critical to PrEP efficacy and has varied across study populations; developing and refining ways of measuring and supporting adherence is essential to the success of PrEP. Evaluation of long-acting medications and alternative formulations for PrEP is underway and may lead to the wider implementation and impact of PrEP.

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References and Recommended Reading

Papers of particular interest, published recently, have been highlighted as: • Of importance •• Of major importance

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Conflict of Interest

Gilead Sciences donated a study drug to the US PrEP demo project, of which Liu is the protocol chair, Susanne Doblecki-Lewis is a co-investigator and site medical director, and Stephanie Cohen is a site co-PI.

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This article does not contain any studies with human or animal subjects performed by the author.

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Correspondence to Albert Liu MD, MPH.

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This article is part of the Topical Collection on HIV Medicine

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Doblecki-Lewis, S., Cohen, S. & Liu, A. Clinical Treatment Options Infectious Diseases: Update on PrEP Implementation, Adherence, and Advances in Delivery. Curr Treat Options Infect Dis 7, 101–112 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40506-015-0046-4

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