Pre-exposure prophylaxis, or PrEP, has been shown to be 90 percent effective against HIV, and the CDC’s report shows nearly all demographic groups increased their use of the pill.
To conduct the study, researchers surveyed over 4,000 HIV-negative men in 20 urban areas who reported having sex with men. While just 6 percent said they took the pill in 2014, 35 percent did in 2017. Awareness of the drug also increased from 60 to 90 percent.
The report found racial disparities in who took the pill, however. Forty-two percent of white men took the pill compared with 26 percent of black men, who already have a higher risk for HIV infection. The researchers blamed “structural barriers” due to race for the gap and recommended increased efforts to provide the drug to minorities.
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