The PrEP Care Continuum Among Cisgender Women Who Sell Sex and/or Use Drugs Globally: A Systematic Review

• Published in: AIDS and behavior Vol. 24; no. 5; pp. 1312 - 1333
• Main Authors: Glick, Jennifer L., Russo, Rienna, Jivapong, Belinda, Rosman, Lori, Pelaez, Danielle, Footer, Katherine H. A., Sherman, Susan G.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York Springer US 01-05-2020; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Anti-HIV Agents - administration & dosage; Cisgender; Continuity of Patient Care; Disease prevention; Drugs; Female; Health care expenditures; Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; Health Psychology; Health Services; HIV; HIV Infections - prevention & control; Human immunodeficiency virus; Humans; Infectious Diseases; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Original Paper; Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis - methods; Prophylaxis; Prostitution; Public Health; Sex; Sex Workers; Sexually transmitted diseases; Social Stigma; STD; Substance Abuse, Intravenous - complications; Substance Abuse, Intravenous - psychology; Systematic review; United States; Women; Womens health; United States; Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP); Systematic review; PrEP care continuum; Women who use drugs (WWUD); Female sex workers (FSW); Global
• ISSN: 1090-7165; 1573-3254
• DOI: 10.1007/s10461-019-02733-z

HIV prevalence among cisgender female sex workers (FSW) and/or women who use drugs (WWUD) is substantially higher compared to similarly aged women. Consistent with PRISMA guidelines, we conducted the first systematic review on the pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) continuum among FSW and/or WWUD, searching PubMed, Embase, CINAHL, PsycInfo, and Sociological Abstracts. Eligibility criteria included: reporting a PrEP related result among FSW and/or WWUD aged 18 + ; peer-reviewed; and published in English between 2012 and 2018. Our search identified 1365 studies; 26 met eligibility requirements, across the following groups: FSW (n = 14), WWUD (n = 9) and FSW-WWUD (n = 3). Studies report on at least one PrEP outcome: awareness (n = 12), acceptability (n = 16), uptake (n = 4), and adherence (n = 8). Specific barriers span individual and structural levels and include challenges to daily adherence, cost, and stigma. Combining health services and long-acting PrEP formulas may facilitate better PrEP uptake and adherence. The limited number of studies indicates a need for more research.