Background Pre-exposure prophylaxis, or PrEP, has been shown to be effective at reducing the risk of HIV infection, yet persons at-risk for acquiring HIV exhibit suboptimal uptake of and adherence to this prevention modality. Although PrEP use among all at-risk groups is low, mobile apps have been shown to increase the use of PrEP; however, it is unknown whether currently available apps have been designed with features to facilitate PrEP uptake and adherence. Methods: The Google Play store and Apple App store were systematically searched for currently available PrEP-related apps. A qualitative evaluation was conducted on apps that met the inclusion criteria for the presence of features that can contribute to PrEP uptake and adherence, and the quality of apps was assessed using the Mobile Apps Rating Scale (MARS) tool. Results: From the systematic search, less than 2% (11/621) of the identified apps were relevant to improving PrEP uptake and adherence. Demonstrating a moderate capacity for facilitating PrEP use, the 11 PrEP-related apps, on average, contained features that addressed two of four factors that can contribute to the uptake of PrEP, particularly features that provided comprehensive information on PrEP and resources to locate providers and clinics offering PrEP services. Findings from the app quality assessment suggested that existing PrEP-related apps are of acceptable quality (mean overall MARS score: 3.2 on a five-point scale). Conclusion: Overall, currently available mobile apps for PrEP demonstrate some promise as potential avenues for increasing PrEP uptake and adherence among persons at-risk for HIV infection.
Objective We aimed to identify disparities in self-reported HCV testing among persons living with HIV (PLWH) in Florida. Methods We utilized a cross-sectional study of 646 PLWH from the Florida Cohort study's baseline survey. Our analysis included chi-squared tests and logistic regression. Results Participants that were 55 years old or above had more than twice the odds of reporting a past HCV test than those 18–34 years old (OR 2.47, 95% CI 1.22–5.0), which contrasted with Non-Hispanic Blacks who had lower odds of reporting a past HCV test than non-Hispanic Whites (OR 0.63, 95% CI 0.35–1.1). Drug use was also associated with higher odds of reporting a past HCV test for injection drugs (OR 2.9, 95% CI 1.0–8.43) and non-injection drugs (OR 1.52 CI 0.99–2.21). Individuals with education beyond high school had higher odds of reporting a past HCV test than those that did not attend/complete high school (OR 1.9 CI 1.11–3.16). Conclusion Our findings highlight the success of the Center for Disease Control and the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force's campaign in groups at high risk of HCV, such as baby boomers and Injection Drug Users (IDUs). However, they also reflect the current low HCV testing in PLWH that are 18–34 years old, have a low level of education, and are non-Hispanic Black. Our findings are of crucial public health significance because untreated HCV in PLWH is a major cause of severe liver disease and death. They reveal the current deficiencies in HCV testing, which is the initial step to identify underlying reasons for inadequate testing in specific groups and develop practical solutions.
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