Associations Among Perceived HIV Risk, Behavioral Risk and Interest in PrEP Among Black Women in the Southern US

• Type of Material: Article
• Authors: Jessica Sales, Emory University; Anandi Sheth, Emory University
• Language: English
• Date: 2019-07-01
• Publisher: Springer/Plenum Publishers
• Publication Version: Author Accepted Manuscript (After Peer Review)
• Copyright Statement: © Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature 2018.
• Final Published Version (URL): http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10461-018-2333-9
• Title of Journal or Parent Work: AIDS and Behavior
• Volume: 23
• Issue: 7
• Start Page: 1871
• End Page: 1876
• Grant/Funding Information: Support for the data used in this study was provided by grants from the National Institutes of Health (R01 AA018096) to Ralph J. DiClemente.; J. Sales and A. Sheth are currently receiving grants from Gilead Sciences, Inc. (CO-US-276-4060).; A. Sheth receives funding from the National Institutes of Health (K23AI114407).
• Keywords: Black or African American; Social Sciences, Biomedical; United States; Public, Environmental & Occupational Health; Women; Science & Technology; Life Sciences & Biomedicine; Preexposure prophylaxis; PrEP; Social Sciences; Biomedical Social Sciences
• Research Categories: Psychology, Behavioral; Health Sciences, Public Health; Health Sciences, Occupational Health and Safety; Health Sciences, Epidemiology

Abstract

Utilizing data from Southern women, we created an HIV risk index with expanded partner-level factors to better capture women who may benefit from HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP). We examined the relationships between potential HIV risk as estimated by laboratory-confirmed bacterial STIs, HIV risk index, perceived HIV risk, and interest in PrEP. Women had multiple PrEP indications; partner characteristics better differentiated STI status than other indicators. Perceived HIV risk differentiated STI status, significantly correlated with the HIV risk index, as well as predicted greater interest in PrEP. Findings can inform how best to evaluate HIV risk and PrEP acceptability among women.