The Association between Social Support and Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis use among Sexual Minority Men in the United...

Sexual minority men (SMM) are disproportionately affected by HIV. Although pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is an effective way of reducing HIV incidence, PrEP use has remained relatively low. Social support may be one effective factor in increasing PrEP use among SMM, but the association between social support and PrEP use/adherence is not well understood. The objective of this paper was to summarize the current literature on the association of social support and PrEP use among SMM in the United States. A systematic search was conducted using six different databases MEDLINE / PubMed, PsycINFO, Cochrane CENTRAL, Google Scholar, Embase, and Web of Science using terms established from keywords and medical subject headings (MeSH) terms before being adapted to each database. Data were extracted for key study factors (e.g., study population, geographic location, study design) and main findings. This search produced eleven articles: ten manuscripts and one conference abstract. Of these, two were randomized control trials, two were interventions, three were qualitative, and four were cross-sectional. The studies were widespread across the country, but most were in major metropolitan areas. From the articles included in this review, findings were inconsistent in the association between social support; some studies showed null findings, others that only certain sources of social support were significant, and others that there was a significant association between social support and PrEP use. This review highlights the complexity of the relationship between social support and PrEP use among SMM, indicating the need for further research to identify specific types and sources of support that effectively enhance PrEP uptake and adherence. Targeted interventions based on these insights could significantly reduce HIV incidence in the population.