HIV Risk Perception and PrEP Attitudes, Knowledge and Preferences Among Women Presenting for Abortion Care: A Cross-sectional Descriptive Study

Project: Research project

Project Details

Description

There are approximately 40,000 individuals newly diagnosed with HIV each year in the United States, including approximately 7500 women9. Infection of these individuals can be prevented by provision of HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP). PrEP involves the daily use of anti-retroviral therapy in uninfected patients at high risk of infection to prevent transmission. Approximately 468,000 US women are at increased risk for contracting HIV and therefore have indications for initiating PrEP10. PrEP use reduces transmission in sero-discordant heterosexual couples by 90%11. Current research regarding PrEP implementation for female patients has largely focused on very high risk populations including women engaging in transactional sex, women in discordant couples and transgender women. Studies also evaluate women presenting for care at STD and family planning clinics, as these populations include women at risk of HIV infection. In these settings, patient knowledge of PrEP is low, but attitudes toward it are generally favorable3,4,5,6. Women seeking services at a freestanding, urban abortion clinic might also benefit from HIV risk assessment, PrEP education, PrEP counseling and PrEP referral as they have a higher prevalence of HIV infection7,8. Understanding HIV risk perception in this patient population as well as knowledge and attitudes towards PrEP will help determine if abortion clinics are another location where PrEP education or referral might be successful.
StatusFinished
Effective start/end date5/14/186/30/19

Funding

  • Society of Family Planning Research Fund (SFPRF Signed 06/07/18)

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