Are you on Prep?
Nine out of 10 gay and bisexual men at high risk for HIV in U.S. cities are aware of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), and over a third were using it in 2017—up from just 6% five years ago—according to new figures from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) published this week.
But despite these promising advances, at-risk Black and Latino men who have sex with men (MSM) are less likely to know about PrEP and less likely to use it compared with white and Asian men.
“HIV PrEP awareness and use is increasing in the United States among MSM who are at risk for acquiring HIV, but higher coverage is needed, especially among Black and Hispanic MSM, to end the HIV epidemic in the United States by 2030,” the report authors concluded. “By routinely testing their patients for HIV, assessing HIV-negative patients for risk behaviors and prescribing PrEP as needed, health care providers can play a critical role in this effort.”