Interest in I-PrEP and Willingness to Participate in Clinical Trials Among Men and Transfeminine Persons Who have Sex with Men in Sub-Saharan Africa: Quantitative and Qualitative Findings from HPTN 075

• Published in: AIDS and behavior Vol. 28; no. 7; pp. 2361 - 2377
• Main Authors: Sandfort, Theodorus G. M., Kreniske, Philip, Mbeda, Calvin, Reynolds, Doerieyah, Tshabalala, Gugulethu, Madiwati, Blessings, Ogendo, Arthur, Dominquez, Karen, Panchia, Ravindre, Gondwe, Daniel, Hamilton, Erica L., Guo, Xu, Cummings, Vanessa
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York Springer US 01-07-2024; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Africa South of the Sahara; Altruism; Anti-HIV Agents - therapeutic use; Biomedicine; Clinical trials; Clinical Trials as Topic; Codification; Disease prevention; Female; Health care; Health Psychology; Health services; HIV; HIV Infections - prevention & control; HIV Infections - psychology; Homosexuality, Male - psychology; Homosexuality, Male - statistics & numerical data; Human immunodeficiency virus; Humans; Infectious Diseases; Interviews as Topic; Kenya; Male; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Men; Original Paper; Patient Acceptance of Health Care - psychology; Patient Acceptance of Health Care - statistics & numerical data; Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis; Prevention; Psychosocial factors; Public Health; Qualitative analysis; Qualitative Research; Recruitment; Sex; Sexual and Gender Minorities - psychology; Sexually transmitted diseases; Side effects; Social Stigma; STD; Stigma; Surveys and Questionnaires; Transgender Persons - psychology; Transgender Persons - statistics & numerical data; Young Adult; Africa South of the Sahara; Kenya; Malawi; Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP); Transfeminine persons; Stigma; Sub-Saharan Africa; Men who have sex with men
• ISSN: 1090-7165; 1573-3254; 1573-3254
• DOI: 10.1007/s10461-024-04334-x

This study explored interest in injectable PrEP (I-PrEP) and willingness to participate in clinical trials testing new biomedical HIV prevention strategies among men and transfeminine persons who have sex with men (MSM & TGP), using data collected in the HIV Prevention Trials Network (HPTN) 075 study, which took place at sites in Kenya, Malawi, and South Africa. Data result from a survey among 267 18–44 years old HIV negative participants, complemented with semi-structured interviews with 80 purposively recruited persons. Correlations coefficients were calculated to identify demographic and psychosocial factors associated with interest in I-PrEP. Qualitative interviews were analyzed using concept-driven and subsequent data-driven coding. Most surveyed participants expressed an interest in I-PrEP. Quantitatively, only being interested in other HIV prevention measures was associated with interest in I-PrEP. Qualitatively, most participants preferred I-PrEP to O-PrEP and remained interested in I-PrEP despite barriers such as the somewhat invasive nature of the procedure and potential side effects of I-PrEP. Interest in I-PrEP was driven by the possibility of avoiding sexual or HIV stigma. Access to healthcare and altruism—such as assisting in the development of new HIV prevention methods—positively impacted willingness to participate in clinical trials. With I-PrEP favored by most participants, it is potentially a critical tool to prevent HIV infection among MSM & TGP in sub-Saharan Africa, with the mitigation of stigma as a major advance. Recruitment of MSM & TGP in biobehavioral clinical trials seems feasible, with altruistic reasons and receiving I-PrEP and free medical care as major motivators.