The promise and peril of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP): using social science to inform prep interventions among female sex workers.
Year: 2014
Type: article
Abstract: Advances in biomedical interventions to prevent HIV offer great promise in reducing the number of new infections across sub- Saharan Africa, particularly among vulnerable populations such as female sex workers. Several recent trials testing pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) have demonstrated efficacy, although others have been stopped early for futility. Given the importance and complexities of social and behavioural factors that influence biomedical approaches to prevention, we discuss several key areas of consideration moving forward, including trial participation, adherence strategies, social relationships, and the structural factors that shape PrEP interest, use, and potential effectiveness among female sex workers in sub-Saharan Africa. Our review highlights the importance of involving social scientists in clinical and community-based research on PrEP. We advocate for a shift away from a singular "re-medicalization" of the HIV epidemic to that of a "reintegration" of interdisciplinary approaches to prevention that could benefit female sex workers and other key populations at risk of acquiring HIV.
Institution: The Ohio State University
Language: English
Subfield: Infectious Diseases
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
Awards: University of California Global Health Institute Program for Fellows and Scholars, Concurrent Partnerships Among High-Risk Couples in the U.S.-Mexico Border Region, Impact of Drug Policy Reform on the HIV Risk Environment among IDUs in Tijuana, Combination Prevention for Vulnerable Women in South Africa., Training Program in Substance Use, HIV and Related Infections
OpenAlex ID: W1926824426