Abstract

For adolescent girls (AG) and young women (YW), adherence barriers may limit the effectiveness of daily oral HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP). Due to its low-burden and long-lasting product attributes, PrEP implants could remove some of the critical adherence barriers of oral PrEP products for individuals at risk of HIV. To explore stated preferences for a long-acting PrEP implant, we conducted a quantitative survey and discrete choice experiment with AG (ages 15–17), YW (18–34), and female sex workers (FSW; ≥ 18) in Gauteng Province, South Africa. We completed 600 quantitative surveys across the three subgroups of women. Respondents stated preference for an implant that provided longer HIV protection (24 months versus 6 months) and required a single insertion. They stated that they preferred a biodegradable implant that could be removed within 1 month of insertion. Respondents had no preference for a particular insertion location. Overall, 78% of respondents said they would be likely (33%) or very likely (45%) to use a PrEP implant were one available, with the majority (82%) stating preference for a product that would provide dual protection against HIV and unintended pregnancies. To reduce their risk of HIV, AG, YW, and FSW in our survey reported a strong willingness to use long-acting, highly-effective, dissolvable PrEP implants.

Full Text
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