Disseminating HIV Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis Information in Underserved Communities

Abstract

The distribution of HIV infection within the U.S. demonstrates consistent patterns of disparities by race, route of transmission, and the interactions etween transmission route and race. Based on the evience that documents the effectiveness of pre-exposure rophylaxis (PrEP) as a method for reducing HIV infecion, the culture-centered approach (CCA), a communitybased dialogically driven participatory health communication framework, is offered as a lens for understanding the role of communicationaboutPrEP inunderserved communities that beardisproportionatelyhigher risksofHIV infection. The term community is defined broadly here to refer to various markers of the term, including geographic (neighborhood); demographic (race); and social networks (MSM [men who have sex with men]). Pre-exposure prophylaxis requires the prescription of daily oral doses of antiretroviral medications that are given to people without HIV infection who report sexual behaviors that place them at high risk of HIV exposure. The potential risks of PrEP include toxicity and rug resistance, and the need for strong adherence guideines, medical follow-up, and cost are key barriers. The CCA attends to the ethical, social, cultural, political, and economic implications for disseminating PrEP information through the active participation of disenfranchised local communities who historically have been deprived of clinical and information resources.