PrEPare_Morocco a successful community-based PrEP delivery demonstration program for men who have sex with men and female sex workers in Morocco

Bibliographic Data

ID19440010
AuthorsAmal Ben Moussa (0000-0001-5404-0057, Association de lutte contre le sida (ALCS), corresponding author), Ouijdane Belhiba (0000-0002-6523-3177, Association de lutte contre le sida (ALCS)), Mustapha Sodqi (Association de lutte contre le sida (ALCS)), Fatima Zahra Hajouji (Association de lutte contre le sida (ALCS)), Nour Elimane Issam Salah (Association de lutte contre le sida (ALCS)), Noureddine Sakhri (Direction Epidemiologie Et Lutte Contre Maladies (DELM), Rabat, Morocco), Kamal Alami (Joint United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS, Rabat, Morocco), Boutaina El Omari (Direction Epidemiologie Et Lutte Contre Maladies (DELM), Rabat, Morocco), Lahoucine Ouarsas (Association de lutte contre le sida (ALCS)), Mehdi Karkouri (0000-0002-6857-7442, Association de lutte contre le sida (ALCS))
Year2024
Volume36
Issue4
Pages508-516
Publication date2024-04-02
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueAIDS Care (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0954-0121 • E-ISSN: 1360-0451
PublisherInforma UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/09540121.2023.2263679
PMID37795685
OpenAlexW4387357927
LanguageEN
References cited27

Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is an effective HIV prevention tool, recommended for persons at substantial risk for HIV, such as female sex workers (FSW) and men who have sex with men (MSM). We present Morocco's and the Middle East/North Africa's first PrEP demonstration project. Our pilot aimed to assess the feasibility and acceptability of a community-based PrEP program for FSW and MSM in Morocco's highest HIV prevalence cities: Agadir, Marrakech, and Casablanca. From May to December 2017, 373 eligible participants engaged in a 5-9 month program with daily oral TDF/FTC and clinic visits. Of these, 320 initiated PrEP, with 119 retained until the study's end. We report an 86% PrEP uptake, 37% overall retention, and 78% retention after 3 months. No seroconversions occurred during follow-up. These results underscore PrEP's need and acceptability among MSM and FSW and demonstrate the effectiveness of a community-based PrEP program in Morocco. These findings informed Morocco's current PrEP program and hold potential for the wider region with similar challenges

Environmental health · Family medicine · Female sex · Gynecology · Men who have sex with men · Pre-exposure prophylaxis · Demography · HIV, Drug Use, Sexual Risk · HIV/AIDS Research and Interventions · Medicine · Sex work and related issues · Gerontology · Internal Medicine

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