142nd APHA Annual Meeting and Exposition

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311564
Eligibility for PrEP among members of a HIV-negative MSM Portuguese Cohort

142nd APHA Annual Meeting and Exposition (November 15 - November 19, 2014): http://www.apha.org/events-and-meetings/annual
Monday, November 17, 2014 : 11:18 AM - 11:33 AM

Henrique Barros , Institute of Public Health of the University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
Luis-Miguel Rocha , GAT - Grupo Português de Activistas sobre o Tratamento de VIH/Sida Pedro Santos
Paula Meireles , Institute of Public Health of the University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
Ricardo Fuertes , GAT - Grupo Português de Activistas sobre o Tratamento de VIH/Sida Pedro Santos
Luis Mendão , GAT - Grupo Português de Activistas sobre o Tratamento de VIH/Sida Pedro Santos
Ana Martins , Institute of Public Health of the University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
João Brito , GAT - Grupo Português de Activistas sobre o Tratamento de VIH/Sida Pedro Santos
Maria-José Campos , GAT - Grupo Português de Activistas sobre o Tratamento de VIH/Sida Pedro Santos
INTRODUCTION:   Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is an effective prevention option for people at high risk for HIV infection. We aimed to characterize and estimate candidates to PrEP using a cohort of HIV-negative MSM.

METHODS:   We studied an ongoing dynamic cohort of HIV-negative MSM who present for testing at a peer-based voluntary counseling and testing center in Lisbon, Portugal (CheckpointLX). Men testing negative are invited to follow-ups scheduled according to their convenience. Evaluations comprise rapid HIV testing and a behavioural questionnaire. Between April 2011 and May 2013, 1593 individuals were enrolled. Eligibility for PrEP was considered one or more of the New York State Department of Health AIDS Institute criteria were met. Differences in socio-demographic characteristics according with PrEP eligibility were calculated using the Chi-square test.

RESULTS:   At entry 693 (43.5%) reported unprotected anal intercourse, 2 (0.1%) were male-to-female transgender engaging in high-risk behaviours, 215 (13.5%) were in a serodiscordant couple, 45 (2.8%) engaged in transactional sex, 252 (15.8%) used stimulant drugs, 6 (0.4%) had more than one STI the previous year and 27 (1.7%) were prescribed  post-exposure prophylaxis  with high-risk behaviours. Overall, 950 (59.3%) participants were eligible for PrEP. They reported more frequently gay identity (85.9% vs. 82.0%), migrant status (26.9% vs. 22.4%), lower education (4.3% v. 2.2%) and had a HIV test (86.0% v. 79.8%).

CONCLUSIONS:   More than half of these HIV-negative MSM were eligible and could probably benefit from PrEP making urgent to understand feasibility of PrEP implementation to support policies aiming to scale-up its use.

Learning Areas:

Clinical medicine applied in public health
Epidemiology
Provision of health care to the public
Public health or related public policy

Learning Objectives:
Assess the extent of candidates to PrEP among MSM living in Portugal

Keyword(s): Public Health Policy, Preventive Medicine

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I was the Portuguese AIDS Coordinator, and I am a full Professor of Epidemiology. I have been and remain fully involved with the VCT center and the on-going research that is promoted there
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.