Daily Oral Pre-exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) Continuation Among Women from Durban, South Africa, Who Initiated PrEP as Standard of Care for HIV Prevention in a Clinical Trial

Bibliographic Data

ID15335169
AuthorsIvana Beesham (0000-0003-4889-8123, University of the Witwatersrand, corresponding author), Dvora Joseph Davey (0000-0001-6290-9293, University of Cape Town), Mags Beksinska (0000-0002-4169-4112, University of the Witwatersrand), Shannon Bosman (University of the Witwatersrand), Jenni Smit (University of the Witwatersrand), Leila E Mansoor (0000-0002-7607-348X, Centre for the AIDS Programme of Research in South Africa)
Year2022
Volume26
Issue8
Pages2623-2631
Publication date2022-02-05
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueAIDS and Behavior (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1090-7165 • E-ISSN: 1573-3254
PublisherSpringer Science+Business Media (PUBLISHER • DE)
DOI10.1007/s10461-022-03592-x
PMID35122575
OpenAlexW4210814030
LanguageEN
Citations received11
References cited17

HIV incidence among women in Eastern and Southern Africa remains unacceptably high, highlighting the need for effective HIV prevention options, including pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP). The Evidence for Contraceptive Options and HIV Outcomes trial offered daily oral PrEP to participants during the latter part of the clinical trial as an additional HIV prevention choice. We explored daily oral PrEP continuation at trial exit among women enrolled from Durban, South Africa who initiated oral PrEP at the trial site. Of the 132 women initiating oral PrEP, 87% reported continuation of oral PrEP at month 1, 80% at month 3, and 75% continued using oral PrEP at their final trial visit and were referred to off-site facilities for ongoing oral PrEP access. The median duration of oral PrEP use in trial participants who used oral PrEP was 91 days (IQR 87 to 142 days). Women who disclosed their oral PrEP use to someone had increased odds of continuing oral PrEP at trial exit. Women who reported > 1 sex partner and those who felt they would probably or definitely get infected with HIV had reduced odds of continuing oral PrEP at trial exit. Of those discontinuing oral PrEP (n = 32), > 50% discontinued within the first month, and the most common reason for discontinuation was reporting side effects. The high rates of oral PrEP continuation in our study are encouraging and our findings can be utilized by other clinical trials providing oral PrEP as standard of care for HIV prevention and by oral PrEP implementation programmes

Clinical trial · Discontinuation · Family medicine · Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV · Incidence (geometry · Logistic regression · Men who have sex with men · Odds · Pre-exposure prophylaxis · Syphilis · Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health · HIV, Drug Use, Sexual Risk · HIV/AIDS Research and Interventions · Medicine · Internal Medicine