Impact of Social Determinants of Health on Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis Care for HIV Prevention

HIV continues to disproportionately affect men who have sex with men (MSM) in the United States. Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is effective, but disparities persist. Limited studies have conducted systematic evaluations of social determinants of health (SDOH) and their effects on PrEP persistence among MSM.

We enrolled MSM into a prospective observational cohort to assess progression through the PrEP care continuum. We enrolled patients from 3 diverse settings in the United States from 2018 to 2022.

We explored the impact of SDOH on PrEP persistence (defined as successfully obtaining PrEP prescriptions and/or clinical documentation of retention in PrEP care) at 6 and 12 months using multilevel, mixed-effects logistic models.

A total of N = 300 MSM were enrolled. Median age was 28 years; 40% were Black/African American, and 11% were Hispanic/Latino (H/L). PrEP persistence was 84.7% and 49.3% at 6- and 12-months, respectively. In the unadjusted analysis, Black/African American and H/L individuals were 56% and 54%, respectively, less likely to demonstrate PrEP persistence at 6-and 12-months compared with White/non-H/L individuals. Findings were no longer significant after adjusting for economic stability and educational attainment. Individuals with higher levels of internalized homophobia were less likely to persist on PrEP. Every 1-unit increase on a validated measure of internalized homophobia was independently and negatively associated with PrEP persistence (adjusted odds ratio = 0.95, 95% confidence interval: 0.93 to 0.98).

SDOH are important predictors of racial and ethnic disparities in PrEP persistence among MSM. Addressing these factors could help mitigate racial disparities in PrEP persistence in the United States.