5 Facts You Should Know About HIV PrEP
PrEP could work for women too, but there's a gap in HIV rates among this demographic, especially Black women. Outside of PrEP's proven effectiveness, the below facts suggest the need for better promotion and more options.
- Event-driven PrEP for Women: Evidence suggests that event-driven pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) could be as effective for women as it is for men. With non-daily but high adherence, taking four to six pills a week could be as effective at preventing HIV infection as daily dosing, according to a recent study published in JAMA.
- Disparity in HIV Rates: In the U.S., cisgender women accounted for nearly 20% of new HIV cases in 2019, with Black women representing over half of those cases, highlighting a significant disparity in HIV infection rates (CDC).
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- High Effectiveness of PrEP: When taken consistently as prescribed, PrEP can reduce the risk of contracting HIV by up to 99% among individuals at high risk, such as those with HIV-positive partners or engaging in high-risk behaviors, according to clinical trials: iPrEx trial (Grant et al., 2010) and the Partners PrEP trial (Baeten et al., 2012).
- Underrepresentation of Black Women in PrEP Promotion: Outside of its high effectiveness, PrEP uptake among Black women remains low, partly due to historical underrepresentation in PrEP promotion campaigns, which have predominantly featured male couples.
- Expansion of PrEP Options: Efforts to expand PrEP options include developing long-acting injectables and on-demand dosing strategies, aiming to make it easier for folks to stay protected, according to clinical trials: "Long-acting injectable cabotegravir dosing strategies in clinical trials: A review" (ViiV Healthcare, 2021) and "On-demand pre-exposure prophylaxis with oral TDF-FTC in men who have sex with men: A systematic review and meta-analysis" (Cambiano et al., 2019).
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