One-third of PrEP users halted medicine during shelter-in-place, study finds

About one-third of people using pre-exposure prophylaxis in states with shelter-in-place orders stopped taking the medication during the pandemic, a survey from the American Academy of HIV Medicine found.

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The academy conducted the survey with Gilead Sciences HIV Medical Affairs, polling 409 PrEP users and 188 prescribers between April 21 and May 15.

Four survey findings:

1. Of respondents who stopped taking PrEP, 85 percent said they were not engaged in behaviors that put them at risk for HIV.

2. Only 11 respondents said an outside factor — such as losing insurance coverage — prevented them from getting the medication. 

3. Eighty-nine percent of providers did not recommend patients change their PrEP routines during shelter-in-place.

4. Forty-seven percent of providers said some of their patients elected to stop using PrEP during shelter-in-place.

The academy presented survey data June 8 at the virtual International AIDS Conference and shared its findings with Becker’s via email.

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