Search Abstracts

Background Publicly-funded oral HIV PrEP has been available to key populations in British Columbia (BC) through the BC Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS since 2018. We examined differences in characteristics of PrEP enrollees with and without subsequent HIV diagnoses. Methods We included clients with ≥1 PrEP prescription dispensed between 1-Jan-2018 and 31-Dec-2023 (follow-up to 30-Jun-2024).…

Background Consistent use of daily oral preexposure prophylaxis (PrEP) during periods of HIV risk is essential for optimal HIV protection. This study estimated and compared persistence of oral PrEP among early and more recent cohorts of PrEP users using a national pharmacy database.  Methods We analyzed data from the IQVIA Real-World Data—Longitudinal Prescription Database (2017−2023) to…

Background Islatravir (ISL) is a potent nucleoside reverse transcriptase translocation inhibitor that was associated with lymphopenia in a dose-dependent manner in clinical studies. We recently showed that treatment with high ISL doses in macaques also resulted in lymphopenia. Here, we evaluated preclinically a poly (ε-caprolactone) (PCL) implant designed to release low levels of ISL that…

Background Several oral and injectable PrEP medications are available in the United States, all of which are about 99% effective in preventing sexually acquired HIV when taken as prescribed. Adolescents and young adults are a key population that may benefit from PrEP as they account for approximately 20% of new HIV diagnoses. Each PrEP medication…

Background Self-reported adherence to PrEP may be inaccurate due to social desirability and recall biases. Although biomarkers can provide more reliable information on pill-taking, the knowledge of biomarker collection can itself increase the accuracy of self-report. Methods We explored correlations between self-reported PrEP adherence and biomarker data in the PUMA trial in Kenya. HIV-uninfected women…

Background Postexposure prophylaxis (PEP) is critical for HIV prevention because it is the only intervention that can prevent HIV acquisition following an exposure. 2016 CDC PEP guidelines recommend specific regimens for PEP. A recent report found increasing off-label use of bictegravir for PEP. Bictegravir is a second-generation integrase inhibitor approved for HIV treatment in 2018…

Background For justice-involved people, the times during and immediately after incarceration can be high-risk periods for HIV acquisition since these periods afford limited access/adherence to effective HIV prevention. We report results from one of the first longitudinal studies to characterize PrEP use among justice-involved people in sub-Saharan Africa. Methods From August 2023—March 2024, we enrolled…

Background Oral HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is highly effective to prevent HIV in men who have sex with men (MSM). PrEP use is usually monitored in-clinic every 3 months (mo). However, this set-up is burdensome for some PrEP users. Reducing the number of in-clinic visits by online-mediated or 6-monthly monitoring may reduce barriers, but could…

Background Data on PrEP usage is limited in China. This study aimed to provide information on PrEP uptake, persistence, discontinuation, adverse events, and HIV incidence among Chinese at-risk PrEP users.  Methods We conducted a 12-month PrEP demonstration project in Wuhan and Guangzhou, China, using a community and clinic hybrid delivery model. Healthcare providers implemented prescribing,…

Background The impact of a first episode of syphilis on the course of subsequent episodes in people living with HIV (PLH) is somehow controversial and of clinical interest. Methods Prospective cohort study of 348 episodes of syphilis observed in 175 PLH with regular follow up (12.5 person-years) in a HIV Unit in a tertiary hospital.…