Assessing the need for a pre-exposure prophylaxis programme using the social media app Grindr®

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Epidemiology
• Sexual Health

Background:

• HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is not approved in Switzerland, requiring users to self-fund.
• Men who have sex with men (MSM) are a key population for HIV prevention strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess current and future PrEP use among MSM in Switzerland.
• To determine the extent of medical supervision for PrEP users.
• To identify the need for a national PrEP program.

Main Methods:

• An online survey was distributed via the Grindr® app to MSM in Switzerland.
• The survey was conducted between January 5-24, 2017, gathering data on PrEP usage and medical supervision.
• 2455 users participated, with 1893 included in the final analysis.

Main Results:

• 4.3% of analyzed participants reported current PrEP use, with 78% under medical supervision.
• 9% of current PrEP users had not had an HIV test in the past 12 months.
• Nearly 50% were considering PrEP use within 6 months, and over 77% in the future.

Conclusions:

• A minority of sexually active MSM in Switzerland are currently using PrEP.
• The majority of MSM surveyed expressed interest in future PrEP use.
• A significant proportion of PrEP users are not receiving medical supervision, indicating an urgent need for a national PrEP program in Switzerland.