Dramatic increase in preexposure prophylaxis use among MSM in King County, Washington

Abstract

PrEP awareness is high and the use has rapidly increased over the last year among MSM in Seattle, Washington, USA. These findings demonstrate that high levels of PrEP use can be achieved among MSM at high-risk for HIV infection.

Promoting Pre-exposure Prophylaxis to Prevent HIV Infections Among Sexual and Gender Minority Hispanics/Latinxs

“…Since then, health departments throughout the country have been promoting PrEP uptake among populations at risk of HIV, often through demonstration projects. While there are some notable successes in PrEP implementation, particularly among MSM of higher educational and socioeconomic status, uptake among minority communities lags behind (Dolezal et al, 2015; Hood et al, 2016; Martinez, Wu et al, 2016). Research on factors associated with differential PrEP uptake among minorities, including gender minority Latinx, is urgently needed to reduce their lifetime HIV risk (Lelutiu-Weinberger & Golub, 2016).…”

Culturally Competent Sexual Healthcare as a Prerequisite for Obtaining Preexposure Prophylaxis: Findings from a Qualitative Study

“…5 The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has released guidelines for PrEP provision to MSM 6 and estimates that one in four sexually active MSM are eligible for PrEP based on behavioral indications, 7 but uptake in this population has been limited. 8 Although PrEP use has increased recently among MSM, [9][10][11] the proportion of MSM accessing PrEP remains far below levels that are necessary to impact HIV incidence substantially in this population. 12 Several impediments to PrEP uptake exist, including barriers for potential consumers (e.g., awareness and interest) and providers (e.g., knowledge and willingness to prescribe), and structural-level barriers (e.g., affordability, stigma, and access to healthcare).…”

Development of an Agent-Based Model to Investigate the Impact of HIV Self-Testing Programs on Men Who Have Sex With Men in Atlanta and Seattle (Preprint)

“…King County (home to Seattle) is one of the first jurisdictions to reach the World Health Organization's 90-90-90 goals [43] and has experienced a rapid scale-up of PrEP [44]. HIV prevalence among Seattle MSM is estimated at 11% [personal communication with Dr. Susan Buskin, 24 October 2017], and HIV incidence has been decreasing over the last decade [45].…”

“…These HIV testing parameters only apply to MSM who are not on PrEP. For Seattle, the proportions of the four tester types, mean intervals between regular tests stratified by frequency of AI, and the likelihood that opportunistic testers will seize a testing opportunity were estimated using data from 361 HIV-negative and unknown status MSM ages 18-39 who participated in the Seattle Pride Survey [44] in 2013 and 2014 and reported living in Washington State. The Pride Survey is an annual convenience sample of self-identified MSM recruited from along the Seattle Pride Parade route to complete a self-administered survey to monitor HIV risk behaviors and uptake of treatment and prevention interventions.…”