Acceptability of pre-exposure prophylaxis for HIV prevention among gay men and other men who have sex with men: analysis of LAMIS 2018-Chile

Abstract

Chile is facing a re-emergence of the HIV epidemic, concentrated among men who have sex with men (MSM). Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is a biomedical intervention that effectively prevents HIV transmission among MSM. The study was designed to estimate acceptability of PrEP and identify factors associated with PrEP-related attitudes and behaviors among MSM using LAMIS 2018 - Chile study data. Data were taken from the LAMIS 2018 - Chile study, a cross-sectional study of gay, bisexual, transgender, and other MSM. Our subsample included 3976 participants with self-reported HIV-negative or unknown status who responded to sociodemographic questions and items related to PrEP. Bivariate analysis and multivariate logistic regression analysis were performed to identify factors associated with acceptability of PrEP. A total of 55.7% of the sample reported high PrEP acceptability. Logistic regression indicated that engaging in sex without a condom (ORa = 1.67, IC 95% 1.42-1.97) and having previously used PrEP (ORa = 1.99, IC 95% 1.41-1.62) were associated with high acceptability to use PrEP, while having a stable partner was associated with low acceptability. The estimate of PrEP acceptability was relatively high among participants. However, interventions to increase awareness and promote demand for PrEP may be beneficial. Furthermore, this study demonstrates the need for non-governmental organizations to participate in such strategies and for measures that address regionally-relevant emerging phenomena.