Joseph Cox1, Herak Apelian2, Erica E M Moodie2, Marc Messier-Peet2, Trevor A Hart2, Daniel Grace2, David M Moore2, Nathan J Lachowsky2, Heather L Armstrong2, Jody Jollimore2, Shayna Skakoon-Sparling2, Ricky Rodrigues2, Darrell H S Tan2, Mathieu Maheu-Giroux2, Syed W Noor2, Bertrand Lebouché2, Cecile Tremblay2, Gbolahan Olarewaju2, Gilles Lambert2. 1. Department of Epidemiology, Biostatistics & Occupational Health (Cox, Moodie, Maheu-Giroux), McGill University; Direction régionale de santé publique, Centre intégré universitaire de santé et de services sociaux Centre-Sud-de-l'Ile-de-Montréal (Cox, Apelian, Messier-Peet, Lambert); Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre (Apelian, Messier-Peet), Montréal, Que.; Department of Psychology (Hart, Skakoon-Sparling, Rodrigues, Noor), Ryerson University; Dalla Lana School of Public Health (Grace), University of Toronto, Toronto, Ont.; British Columbia Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS (Moore, Armstrong, Olarewaju); Faculty of Medicine (Moore), University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC; School of Public Health & Social Policy (Lachowsky), Faculty of Human & Social Development, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC; Department of Psychology (Armstrong), University of Southampton, Southampton, UK; Community-Based Research Centre (Jollimore), Vancouver, BC; Division of Infectious Diseases (Tan), St. Michael's Hospital; Department of Medicine (Tan), University of Toronto, Toronto, Ont.; Department of Family Medicine (Lebouché), Faculty of Medicine, McGill University; Centre for Outcomes Research and Evaluation (Lebouché), Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre; Centre de recherche du centre hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal (Tremblay); Institut national de santé publique du Québec (Lambert), Montréal, Que. joseph.cox@mcgill.ca. 2. Department of Epidemiology, Biostatistics & Occupational Health (Cox, Moodie, Maheu-Giroux), McGill University; Direction régionale de santé publique, Centre intégré universitaire de santé et de services sociaux Centre-Sud-de-l'Ile-de-Montréal (Cox, Apelian, Messier-Peet, Lambert); Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre (Apelian, Messier-Peet), Montréal, Que.; Department of Psychology (Hart, Skakoon-Sparling, Rodrigues, Noor), Ryerson University; Dalla Lana School of Public Health (Grace), University of Toronto, Toronto, Ont.; British Columbia Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS (Moore, Armstrong, Olarewaju); Faculty of Medicine (Moore), University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC; School of Public Health & Social Policy (Lachowsky), Faculty of Human & Social Development, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC; Department of Psychology (Armstrong), University of Southampton, Southampton, UK; Community-Based Research Centre (Jollimore), Vancouver, BC; Division of Infectious Diseases (Tan), St. Michael's Hospital; Department of Medicine (Tan), University of Toronto, Toronto, Ont.; Department of Family Medicine (Lebouché), Faculty of Medicine, McGill University; Centre for Outcomes Research and Evaluation (Lebouché), Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre; Centre de recherche du centre hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal (Tremblay); Institut national de santé publique du Québec (Lambert), Montréal, Que.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: In Canada, gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men (GBM) are disproportionately affected by HIV. Our objective was to describe access to HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and identify factors associated with not using PrEP among self-reported HIV-negative or HIV-unknown GBM. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional analysis of the Engage study cohort. Between 2017 and 2019, sexually active GBM aged 16 years or more in Montréal, Toronto and Vancouver were recruited via respondent-driven sampling (RDS). Participation included testing for HIV and sexually transmitted and blood-borne infections, and completion of a questionnaire. We examined PrEP access using a health care services model and fit RDS-adjusted logistic regressions to determine correlates of not using PrEP among those for whom PrEP was clinically recommended and who were aware of the intervention. RESULTS: A total of 2449 GBM were recruited, of whom 2008 were HIV-negative or HIV-unknown; 1159 (511 in Montréal, 247 in Toronto and 401 in Vancouver) met clinical recommendations for PrEP. Of the 1159, 1100 were aware of PrEP (RDS-adjusted proportion: Montréal 84.6%, Toronto 94.2%, Vancouver 92.7%), 678 had felt the need for PrEP in the previous 6 months (RDS-adjusted proportion: Montréal 39.2%, Toronto 56.1%, Vancouver 49.0%), 406 had tried to access PrEP in the previous 6 months (RDS-adjusted proportion: Montréal 20.6%, Toronto 33.2%, Vancouver 29.6%) and 319 had used PrEP in the previous 6 months (RDS-adjusted proportion: Montréal 14.5%, Toronto 21.6%, Vancouver 21.8%). Not using PrEP was associated with several factors, including not feeling at high enough risk, viewing PrEP as not completely effective, not having a primary care provider and lacking medication insurance. INTERPRETATION: Although half of GBM met clinical recommendations for PrEP, less than a quarter of them reported use. Despite high levels of awareness, a programmatic response that addresses PrEP-related perceptions and health care system barriers is needed to scale up PrEP access among GBM in Canada.
BACKGROUND: In Canada, gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men (GBM) are disproportionately affected by HIV. Our objective was to describe access to HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and identify factors associated with not using PrEP among self-reported HIV-negative or HIV-unknown GBM. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional analysis of the Engage study cohort. Between 2017 and 2019, sexually active GBM aged 16 years or more in Montréal, Toronto and Vancouver were recruited via respondent-driven sampling (RDS). Participation included testing for HIV and sexually transmitted and blood-borne infections, and completion of a questionnaire. We examined PrEP access using a health care services model and fit RDS-adjusted logistic regressions to determine correlates of not using PrEP among those for whom PrEP was clinically recommended and who were aware of the intervention. RESULTS: A total of 2449 GBM were recruited, of whom 2008 were HIV-negative or HIV-unknown; 1159 (511 in Montréal, 247 in Toronto and 401 in Vancouver) met clinical recommendations for PrEP. Of the 1159, 1100 were aware of PrEP (RDS-adjusted proportion: Montréal 84.6%, Toronto 94.2%, Vancouver 92.7%), 678 had felt the need for PrEP in the previous 6 months (RDS-adjusted proportion: Montréal 39.2%, Toronto 56.1%, Vancouver 49.0%), 406 had tried to access PrEP in the previous 6 months (RDS-adjusted proportion: Montréal 20.6%, Toronto 33.2%, Vancouver 29.6%) and 319 had used PrEP in the previous 6 months (RDS-adjusted proportion: Montréal 14.5%, Toronto 21.6%, Vancouver 21.8%). Not using PrEP was associated with several factors, including not feeling at high enough risk, viewing PrEP as not completely effective, not having a primary care provider and lacking medication insurance. INTERPRETATION: Although half of GBM met clinical recommendations for PrEP, less than a quarter of them reported use. Despite high levels of awareness, a programmatic response that addresses PrEP-related perceptions and health care system barriers is needed to scale up PrEP access among GBM in Canada.
Authors: R Grewal; S L Deeks; T A Hart; J Cox; A De Pokomandy; T Grennan; G Lambert; D Moore; F Coutlée; M Gaspar; C George; D Grace; J Jollimore; N J Lachowsky; R Nisenbaum; G Ogilvie; C Sauvageau; D H S Tan; A Yeung; A N Burchell Journal: Hum Vaccin Immunother Date: 2021-12-02 Impact factor: 3.452
Authors: Jordan M Sang; Jason Wong; Venessa Ryan; Emma Cumming; Lu Wang; Zishan Cui; Nicanor Bacani; Devon Haag; Nathan J Lachowsky; Joseph Cox; Daniel Grace; Michael Otterstatter; Muhammad Morshed; Joshua Edward; Troy Grennan; Jillian Arkles; Bobbi Brownrigg; Robert S Hogg; David M Moore Journal: Can J Public Health Date: 2022-09-26
Authors: David C Knox; Robert Pilarski; Harvinder S Dhunna; Amit Kaushal; Jonathan D Adachi Journal: Can J Infect Dis Med Microbiol Date: 2022-08-30 Impact factor: 2.585