Audit of patient retention in pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) services in an integrated sexual reproductive health service setting.

Abstract

Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) for HIV in Wales was launched in July 2017. We set up a PrEP service delivered via our integrated sexual reproductive health service in Aneurin Bevan University Health Board (ABUHB), south east Wales. Public Health Wales (PHW) data show a 22% ‘lost to follow-up’ rate amongst Welsh PrEP patients. Over 18 months, 278 patients booked into ABUHB PrEP clinics. Of these, 275 were men who have sex with men (MSM). One hundred and ninety-three patients commenced PrEP, 5 were diagnosed with HIV at baseline, 42 did not attend their first appointment. The remainder declined PrEP. Of those commenced on PrEP, 51.7% had reduced clinic attendances; all were MSM. Patients with reduced attendances were more likely to be younger (mean age 33 vs. 37 years), reside outside ABUHB catchment area (56.4% vs. 49.6%) and have mental health issues (28.6% vs. 18.8%), but were less likely to disclose substance misuse (24.2% vs. 27.1%) than those attending in line with operational guidance. Of the 63 patients who stopped attending the PrEP clinic, 32.3% (21) had documented reasons, the most common being reduced self-perceived risk. This is the first evaluation of reasons why patients stop attending as well as risk factors associated with those lost to follow-up in PrEP services in Wales.