Ojeda VD, Amico KR, Hughes JP, Wilson E, Li M, Holtz TH, Chitwarakorn A, Grant RM, Dye BJ, Bekker LG, Mannheimer S, Marzinke M, Hendrix CW. Low Disclosure of PrEP Nonadherence and HIV-Risk Behaviors Associated With Poor HIV PrEP Adherence in the HPTN 067/ADAPT Study. JAIDS. 2019, 82: 34-40.
Abstract:
OBJECTIVE: We evaluated the relationship between 2 types of social relationships, ie, (1) external support for use of HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and related study supplies and (2) participants' disclosure of PrEP use and condom use and HIV PrEP adherence among daily-dosing regimen participants in HIV Prevention Trials Network (HPTN) 067, an open-label trial of oral tenofovir (TFV) disoproxil fumarate (TDF) 300 mg/emtricitabine (FTC) 200 mg. METHODS: Using HPTN 067 survey data, we developed scales examining (1) Low Perceived External Support for PrEP: low perceived support by others for PrEP use or perceived negative reactions to the pill case (scoring ranges from 0 to 2) and (2) Participant-Staff Disclosure Challenges Scale, which identifies challenges to sharing nonuse of PrEP or condoms to study staff (scoring ranges from 0 to 4); these scales are the primary independent variables. Adherence, the dependent variable, was determined using log-transformed plasma TFV concentrations. generalized estimating equation (GEE) linear regression was used to assess the association between both scales and adherence. RESULTS: Participants (n = 161) included HIV-uninfected women in South Africa, and men who have sex with men and transgender women, in Thailand and the United States. In multivariable analyses, higher scores in the Participant-Staff Disclosure Challenges Scale were significantly associated with lower PrEP adherence [exp(beta) = 0.62, 95% CI: (0.46 to 0.84); P = 0.002] as were increased days since the last PrEP dose [exp(beta) = 0.73, 95% CI: (0.65 to 0.83); P