Puerto Rico PrEParado: Increasing PrEP uptake among sexual minority men in Puerto Rico

点击翻译按钮获取中文摘要

ABSTRACT Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) use among sexual minority men (SMM) in Puerto Rico is notably low. Although PrEP awareness and uptake continue to increase around the United States (US), large proportions of SMM at increased risk for HIV in Puerto Rico are still unaware of PrEP as an HIV prevention strategy. Expanding the use of PrEP to underserved populations and optimizing PrEP delivery is one of the key strategies of the Ending the HIV Epidemic Initiative (EHE), as evidence has shown a significant association between PrEP uptake and a decline in HIV incidence. Nonetheless, PrEP implementation faces many barriers including awareness and acceptability among potential users and health care providers. In order to fill the research gap aimed to understand and reduce the barriers to achieve PrEP Uptake among a high impacted group (SMM) and in response to the call of the EHE, we propose the following aims: 1) to systematically assess the barriers and facilitators for the linkages between HIV testing and PrEP awareness and uptake in HIV/STI clinics in Puerto Rico; 2) to develop Puerto Rico PrEParado, a policy intervention for HIV/STI testing clinics to optimize PrEP uptake among SMM; and 3) to pilot the Puerto Rico PrEParado policy intervention in one HIV/STI testing clinic to assess implementation outcomes and the potential impact on PrEP uptake among SMM in Puerto Rico. Results and findings from this research will help advance the EHE efforts to improve the access to PrEP among SMM in Puerto Rico and other Latino populations.