Knowledge of and opinions on HIV preexposure prophylaxis among front-line service providers at Canadian AIDS service organizations

• Published in: AIDS research and human retroviruses Vol. 29; no. 9; p. 1183
• Main Authors: Senn, Heather, Wilton, James, Sharma, Malika, Fowler, Shawn, Tan, Darrell H S
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States 01-09-2013
• Subjects: Adenine - administration & dosage; Adenine - analogs & derivatives; Adult; Anti-HIV Agents - administration & dosage; Canada; Chemoprevention; Deoxycytidine - administration & dosage; Deoxycytidine - analogs & derivatives; Emtricitabine; Female; Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; Health Personnel; HIV Infections - prevention & control; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Organophosphonates - administration & dosage; Surveys and Questionnaires; Tenofovir; Canada
• ISSN: 1931-8405
• DOI: 10.1089/aid.2013.0090

Oral daily tenofovir/emtricitabine (Truvada) is approved in the United States for HIV preexposure prophylaxis (PrEP) but has generated controversy in the media and within HIV-affected communities. We conducted an online survey about PrEP-related knowledge, experience, opinions, and learning needs, and received 160 responses from service providers at Canadian AIDS Service Organizations. Respondents were cautiously optimistic about PrEP and 48.8% believed that PrEP warranted Health Canada approval. In multivariable logistic regression, support for PrEP approval was associated with more years working in HIV (odds ratio=1.89 per decade, 95% CI=1.10, 3.25), low baseline familiarity with PrEP (OR=3.24, 95% CI=1.01, 14.41), and knowing someone who had used PrEP (OR=4.39, 95% CI=1.28,15.08). Participants major concerns about PrEP were similar to those highlighted in other publications, and some issues specific to certain target populations were raised. Several participants (26.2%) had been asked about PrEP in the past year and 10.6% knew of one or more Canadian who had used PrEP. Despite clients' interest, most participants thought that they (60.6%) or their organization (63.1%) did not have enough current knowledge about PrEP, highlighting the need for further education on this novel HIV prevention strategy.