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Variations in Pre-exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) Awareness and Healthcare Provider Interactions in a Nationally Representative Sample of American Men Aged 15–49 Years: A Cross-Sectional Study

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Abstract

Awareness of and discussions with a healthcare provider (HCP) around pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), an effective HIV prevention method, are associated with PrEP uptake, yet few studies utilize representative samples or report on these outcomes using distinct behavioral risk subgroups. This cross-sectional study utilized responses given by men on the 2017–2019 National Survey of Family Growth, a nationally representative survey of Americans aged 15–49 years. Multiple logistic regression models were used to determine how respondents’ sociodemographic characteristics and HIV risk behaviors were related to PrEP awareness and HCP discussions. PrEP awareness was low (29.40%) as was the proportion who reported ever discussing PrEP with an HCP (4.48%). Odds of being PrEP aware and discussing PrEP with an HCP varied significantly within sexual behavior subgroups based on sociodemographic and behavioral characteristics highlighting the differential risks within distinct behavioral subgroupings of men. Sexual behavior subgroupings should be considered when promoting PrEP awareness and discussions as HIV risk behaviors vary considerably and sexual identity alone may not sufficiently capture one’s HIV risk.

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Data Availability

All data used in this study are publicly available through the National Center for Health Statistics.

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Acknowledgements

The first author would like to specifically acknowledge Rebecca Houghton for providing additional support during the development and completion of this project and Arthur Owora for introducing previous explorations of these data that provided the framework for the current study.

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Ferrand, J., Walsh-Buhi, E., Dodge, B. et al. Variations in Pre-exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) Awareness and Healthcare Provider Interactions in a Nationally Representative Sample of American Men Aged 15–49 Years: A Cross-Sectional Study. AIDS Behav 27, 2932–2943 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10461-023-04016-0

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