Investigators at Washington State Department of Health Discuss Findings in HIV/AIDS (Dramatic increase in preexposure prophylaxis use among MSM in…

Investigators at Washington State Department of Health Discuss Findings in HIV/AIDS (Dramatic increase in preexposure prophylaxis use among MSM in Washington state)

By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at AIDS Weekly -- Fresh data on Immune System Diseases and Conditions are presented in a new report. According to news reporting out of Tumwater, Washington, by NewsRx editors, research stated, "HIV preexposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is efficacious, but uptake has been slow. In Washington State, most insurance plans, including Medicaid, pay for PrEP, and the state supports a PrEP drug assistance program."

Our news journalists obtained a quote from the research from the Washington State Department of Health, "We assessed trends in PrEP awareness and use among MSM in Washington. Serial cross-sectional survey conducted annually at the Seattle Pride Parade between 2009 and 2015. In a convenience sample of MSM who reside in Washington State and deny ever testing HIV positive (n=2168), we evaluated the association between calendar year and self-report of PrEP uptake and awareness using descriptive statistics and multivariable relative risk and logistic regression. Regression models included HIV risk and demographic covariates. In 2015, 23% [95% confidence interval (CI): 16%, 31%] of high-risk MSM reported currently taking PrEP. The percentage of high-risk MSM who reported ever taking PrEP increased from 5% in 2012 to 31% in 2015. PrEP use among lower-risk MSM was low and stable, between 1 and 3% in 2012-2015. In multivariable analyses, PrEP use was associated with later calendar years (2015 vs. 2012: adjusted relative risk=2.29, 95% CI: 1.16, 4.52) and elevated HIV risk (adjusted relative risk=2.92, 95% CI: 2.00, 4.25). The percentage of high and lower-risk MSM who had heard of PrEP increased from 13 to 86% and from 29 to 58%, respectively. PrEP awareness is high and the use has rapidly increased over the last year among MSM in Seattle, Washington, USA."

According to the news editors, the research concluded: "These findings demonstrate that high levels of PrEP use can be achieved among MSM at high-risk for HIV infection.C."

For more information on this research see: Dramatic increase in preexposure prophylaxis use among MSM in Washington state. Aids, 2016;30(3):515-519. Aids can be contacted at: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, Two Commerce Sq, 2001 Market St, Philadelphia, PA 19103, USA. (Lippincott Williams and Wilkins - www.lww.com; Aids - journals.lww.com/aidsonline/pages/default.aspx)

Our news journalists report that additional information may be obtained by contacting J.E. Hood, Washington State Dept. of Hlth, Infect Dis Prevent, Tumwater, WA, United States. Additional authors for this research include S.E. Buskin, J.C. Dombrowski, D.A. Kern, E.A. Barash, D.A. Katzi and M.R. Golden (see also Immune System Diseases and Conditions).

Keywords for this news article include: Tumwater, HIV/AIDS, Washington, RNA Viruses, Retroviridae, United States, HIV Infections, Vertebrate Viruses, Risk and Prevention, Primate Lentiviruses, North and Central America, Viral Sexually Transmitted Diseases, Immune System Diseases and Conditions

Our reports deliver fact-based news of research and discoveries from around the world. Copyright 2016, NewsRx LLC