Health Impact of Strategies to Promote PrEP Adherence Among Adolescents

Over the last few years safety and feasibility studies, modeling work and clinical trials have all indicated that PrEP can be a safe and effective intervention for the prevention of HIV among ASMM.  In our own modeling work focused on ASMM we have evaluated the potential impacts of changes in coverage and adherence as well as the impact of racial disparities along these dimensions. In addition to the direct befits of PrEP for HIV prevention among ASMM, PrEP may also be important and impactful as it could establish a lifelong norm of PrEP use and treatment seeking behavior.  

The potential importance of establishing PrEP use norms early was highlighted by our most recent modeling study which simultaneously modeled the Adult MSM population and the ASMM population.  We found that PrEP use among young adult MSM significantly reduced incidence among ASMM.  This finding suggested that, to the extent that ASMM can establish a norm of PreP use as they enter early adulthood, it could further prevent new infections among the next generation of ASMM.