A Pilot Study of a Patient Navigation Intervention to Improve HIV Pre-exposure Prophylaxis Persistence Among Black/African American Men Who Have Sex With Men.

BACKGROUND

Suboptimal HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) care outcomes among Black/African American men who have sex with men (MSM) limits its population-level effects on HIV incidence. We conducted a pilot study of a brief patient navigation intervention aimed at improving PrEP initiation and persistence among Black/African American MSM in the Southern United States.

SETTING

Community health center in Jackson, MS.

METHODS

We recruited 60 Black/African American MSM aged 18-34 years who were newly prescribed PrEP. Participants were randomized to receive the clinic's current standard of care or an intervention condition including a single patient navigation session to discuss and address perceived barriers to initiating and maintaining access to PrEP and biweekly check-ins. Participants were followed over 6 months using survey assessments, medical chart review, and pharmacy purchase records to ascertain PrEP initiation and persistence.

RESULTS

Participants in the intervention condition were more likely to pick up their initial PrEP prescription [RR: 1.47; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.10 to 1.97], be retained in PrEP care at 3 months (RR: 1.62; 95% CI: 1.01 to 2.59) and 6 months (RR: 1.38; 95% CI: 0.64 to 2.93), and have access to PrEP medications greater than 80% of all study days based on pharmacy fill records (RR: 3.00; 95% CI: 1.50 to 5.98).

CONCLUSION

A brief patient navigation intervention demonstrated proof-of-concept in improving PrEP initiation and persistence among Black/African American MSM in the Southern United States.