Project PrEP: A PrEP Education Initiative in South Georgia
Abstract
This presentation will describe the process of planning and implementing Project PrEP, a community health initiative to increase PrEP awareness among communities at high HIV risk in south Georgia, especially MSM. Intervention strategies, key findings, and lessons learned will be discussed.
Proposal Summary
Introduction: Men who have sex with men (MSM) in the southern United States are disproportionately affected by HIV infection. In 2012, Gilead Sciences received approval from the FDA to offer pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP). However, since its approval, PrEP uptake has been slow, especially among MSM in the South. The purpose of this study was to increase awareness of PrEP and identify correlates of willingness to take PrEP among MSM in south Georgia. Method: Data were collected from MSM who participated in Project PrEP, a community health education initiative based in south Georgia. Project PrEP consists of a short, interactive educational session addressing basic knowledge of HIV and PrEP, and PrEP access. Knowledge about PrEP, willingness to take PrEP, sexual behaviors, and key psychosocial variables were assessed using a self-administered pretest/posttest. Results: Average age of participants was 35.25 years (SD=15.16). Two-thirds (62%) of participants identified as Black/African American, and 27% identified as White. About three-quarters (74%) were HIV-negative. Knowledge of PrEP increased significantly from pretest (M=7.19, SD=2.28) to posttest (M=8.11, SD= 2.13), t(112)=3.64, p<.001. Among HIV-negative participants, higher PrEP self-efficacy was associated with an increased willingness to use PrEP (B=.12, p<.01). Conclusions: These results suggest that PrEP education may be an important component of increasing PrEP uptake among MSM in south Georgia. Increasing confidence in one’s ability to take PrEP was strongly associated with willingness to take PrEP, suggesting the need for comprehensive PrEP education for MSM. However, social and structural factors can present barriers to providing education. Innovative recruitment strategies, interactive programming, and social media presence can enhance these efforts. Learning Objectives: Describe the components of a PrEP education program for MSM in the South. Identify factors associated with willingness to take PrEP among MSM in the South.
Relevance And Significance
This presentation is relevant to the Prevention and Intervention conference track, with special emphasis on two areas: Programs working with marginalized populations, and Innovative strategies and tools for prevention and intervention in rural communities. In this presentation, we will address how we developed a PrEP education initiative specifically to serve a primarily rural and underserved area. We will also talk about lessons that we learned in engaging MSM, a marginalized and hard-to-reach population in rural areas. Our goal is that attendees will walk away with ideas and insights for developing their own PrEP education and awareness interventions.
Session Format
Presentation Session
Keywords
Men who have sex with men, PrEP, Community education
Publication Type and Release Option
Presentation (Open Access)
Recommended Citation
Cooper, Julia; Johnson, Abraham N.; Odusanya, Anne O.; and Smallwood, Stacy W., "Project PrEP: A PrEP Education Initiative in South Georgia" (2018). 9th Annual Rural HIV Research and Training Conference (2014-2019). 3.
https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/ruralhiv/2017/2017/3
Project PrEP: A PrEP Education Initiative in South Georgia
This presentation will describe the process of planning and implementing Project PrEP, a community health initiative to increase PrEP awareness among communities at high HIV risk in south Georgia, especially MSM. Intervention strategies, key findings, and lessons learned will be discussed.
