2015 APHA Annual Meeting & Expo

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Recorded Annual Meeting Presentations (RAMP) are now available for purchase.
Only $90 for presenters, $140 for registered attendees and $200 for non-attendees.

Online Program

330326
Structural and behavioral factors associated with intentions to begin HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) among gay and bisexual men in the United States


Tuesday, November 3, 2015 : 5:30 p.m. - 5:50 p.m.

H. Jonathon Rendina, PhD, MPH, Department of Psychology and the Center for HIV/AIDS Educational Studies and Training (CHEST), Hunter College and the Graduate Center of the City University of New York (CUNY), New York, NY
Christian Grov, PhD, MPH, Department of Health and Nutrition Sciences, Brooklyn College and the Graduate Center of CUNY, and the Center for HIV/AIDS Educational Studies and Training, Brooklyn, NY
Ana Ventuneac, PhD, Center for HIV/AIDS Educational Studies and Training (CHEST), Hunter College of the City University of New York (CUNY), New York, NY
Thomas Whitfield, BA, Center for HIV Educational Studies & Training (CHEST) and Doctoral Program in Psychology, Hunter College and the Graduate Center of CUNY, New york, NY
Jeffrey T. Parsons, PhD, Department of Psychology and the Center for HIV/AIDS Educational Studies and Training (CHEST), Hunter College and the Graduate Center of the City University of New York (CUNY), New York, NY
Background: Several large PrEP efficacy trials and demonstration projects have been conducted or are underway with gay/bisexual men (GBM) and several smaller studies have examined variables such as willingness to take PrEP if free. However, there have been no large, national studies focused on intentions to begin PrEP or differentiating them from more general willingness.

Method: We conducted a 6-month follow-up survey on PrEP willingness and intentions among 802 HIV-negative GBM in the nationally representative One Thousand Strong panel.

Results: Although 458 (56.5%) were willing to take PrEP, only 131 (16.2%) intended to; among those, 58.0% intended to do so within three months. PrEP intentions were highest among men who were: Black (29.3%) or multiracial (25.4%), p=.008; from the South (19.6%), p=.01; high school graduates or less (34.5%), p<.001; making less than $20,000/year (23.2%), p<.001; single (20.3%), p<.001; and having condomless anal sex (23.8%), p<.001. Being insured, having a primary care doctor, and local population density were not significantly associated with PrEP intentions. In a multivariable model, younger age, Black (versus White) race/ethnicity, lower education, being single, and having engaged in HIV risk independently predicted PrEP intentions (all p<.05).

Conclusions: These findings demonstrate that more Black/multiracial GBM have intentions to begin PrEP compared to White and Latino men, but highlight the role that lower socioeconomic position and geographic region may play in limiting access to care. Structural-level approaches such as PrEP drug assistance programs are needed to equitably distribute PrEP to GBM who desire it.

Learning Areas:

Chronic disease management and prevention
Implementation of health education strategies, interventions and programs
Planning of health education strategies, interventions, and programs
Provision of health care to the public
Public health or related public policy
Social and behavioral sciences

Learning Objectives:
Differentiate those groups with higher versus lower intentions to begin a PrEP regimen Identify a structural-level program that may help improve access for these groups

Keyword(s): Prevention, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT)

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I have been conducting research in the field of HIV prevention for more than 9 years. I hold an MPH in Biostatistics and a PhD in Psychology. I am currently a Research Scientist and the Senior Data Analyst at Hunter College's Center for HIV Educational Studies & Training (CHEST) as well as an Adjunct Assistant Professor at the CUNY School of Public Health.
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.

Back to: 4424.0: Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis and HIV