Awareness and uptake of oral pre-exposure prophylaxis among adolescent and young key populations in Nigeria: a secondary data analysis of the 2020 Integrated Biological & Behavioural Surveillance Survey

Abstract

ABSTRACT Oral pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is a critical intervention for HIV prevention among key populations (KP) in Nigeria. However, little is known about its coverage among adolescent and young key populations (AYKP). Using the 2020 Integrated Biological & Behavioural Surveillance Survey conducted among KP, including female sex workers (FSW), men who have sex with men (MSM), people who inject drugs (PWID), and transgender people (TG), we assessed the awareness and uptake of PrEP among AYKP (15-24 years) in Nigeria. We performed weighted descriptive statistics and logistic regression analyses. Of the 6882 AYKP included in this study, 36.1% were aware of PrEP, ranging from 47.9% in MSM to 19.8% in FSW. Compared with FSW, MSM (aOR = 3.7, 95%CI = 3.22–4.35) and TG (aOR = 2.6, 95%CI = 2.18–2.98) had significant higher odds of PrEP awareness. Among those aware of PrEP, 24.5% had ever taken PrEP. The uptake of PrEP varied by KP group: TG (28.1%), MSM (25.3%), PWID (18.0%), and FSW (14.4%). MSM (aOR = 2.6, 95%CI = 1.72–4.07) and TG (aOR = 2.7, 95%CI = 1.71–4.14) had significant higher odds of PrEP uptake relative to FSW. The awareness and uptake of PrEP among AYKP in Nigeria is low. This calls for more awareness creation about PrEP addressing the barriers that limit its uptake.