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HIV continues to be a pressing problem, particularly for men who have sex with men (MSM). Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is a highly effective means of preventing HIV infection, but adoption of it by MSM has been sluggish. Though there are many reasons for PrEP's limited adoption, healthcare providers' lack of skill in communicating with MSM likely plays a role. This study employed in-depth interviews with MSM who have adopted PrEP to explore how effective patient-provider communication surrounding PrEP takes place. Findings revealed that healthcare providers utilized five strategies to communicate with their MSM patients about PrEP. These strategies included (1) disclosure of identity and personal information; (2) knowledge of information that may be relevant to MSM patients; (3) positivity; (4) relationship inquiries; and (5) remaining calm. Employing the strategies uncovered in this study may be useful in improving communication between healthcare providers and their MSM patients and may help to increase MSM's adoption of PrEP.

This study focuses on how gay men communicate about pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), focusing on how they learned about PrEP, how they discussed adoption with health care providers, and to what extent they have encountered stigma on social networks. In this qualitative study, 39 gay PrEP users were interviewed about PrEP. A majority of the participants learned about PrEP via friends and potential sex partners, and a majority of the participants experienced stigma from their health care provider and from other gay men online, mainly referring to promiscuity and risks of STIs. The authors recommend that health care providers should be trained in minimizing the expression of stigmatizing attitudes and should increase their knowledge of PrEP.

HIV is a serious problem in the USA, particularly for men who have sex with men (MSM). A new means of HIV prevention, called pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), has been shown to be highly effective. However, in spite of earning FDA approval, adoption of PrEP by MSM has been limited. The purpose of this study was to examine the experiences of a sample of 38 MSM who have adopted PrEP, focusing on communication with healthcare providers and social networks. In-depth interviews were used to collect data. Findings revealed that stigmatization by healthcare providers as well as stigmatization by other MSM was a relatively common experience for participants. Additionally, participants described that a high level of health literacy, health advocacy, and communication skill were necessary to adopt PrEP. Given these findings, strategies are suggested for improving MSM's healthcare and increasing rates of PrEP adoption.

On May 14, 2014 the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) endorsed the drug Truvada as an HIV preventative, called pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP). PrEP has been shown to dramatically reduce the risk of HIV infection, but its rate of adoption has been slow, and discourse surrounding it has been marked by stigma and uncertainty. The purpose of this study was to investigate how PrEP was discussed on Twitter. Our analysis focused on barriers to PrEP adoption and stigmatization of PrEP users. We analyzed a random sample of 1,093 top tweets about PrEP posted to Twitter a year before and a year after the CDC's endorsement. Our results showed that tweets likely reinforced uncertainty about barriers to PrEP adoption and that users employed Twitter's functionality to counter stigmatizing narratives about PrEP. We suggest that our findings illuminate both the limitations and strengths of Twitter as a mechanism for health promotion.

HIV continues to be serious issue in the U.S., especially for men who have sex with men (MSM). Pre–exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is a highly effective means of preventing HIV, but its adoption has been slower than expected. The purpose of this study was to investigate the extent to which MSM's perceptions of their healthcare providers' level of communication skill predicted PrEP status. An online survey of 969 MSM was conducted. The results showed that respondents who perceived that their healthcare provider was skilled in information giving, information receiving, and information verifying were more likely to be on PrEP than respondents who perceived their healthcare provider had a lower level of skill in these areas. These findings highlight the importance of providers' communication skill in healthcare, particularly for MSM [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background The "Undetectable = Untransmittable" ("U=U") campaign is gaining traction, but prior studies from 2012–2017 have shown that the proportion of gay and bisexual men who have sex with men (GBMSM) who are aware of or have perceived accuracy of U=U is low. We report findings from a survey administered to GBMSM in 2018 to understand whether the landscape is changing with respect to U=U message dissemination. Methods GBMSM were recruited on gay dating apps to complete a 96 question survey. Survey data were collected in April-August of 2018. Collected data elements included demographic information, HIV status, ART and PrEP use, and beliefs and opinions regarding HIV transmission. Results 969 GBMSM completed the survey; of whom, 678 had analyzable data (241 had never had anal sex with a man and 54 were missing ≥1 of the variables used in the analysis). Average age was 43 years, 65% were white, 15% black, 15% white, and 15% were HIV-infected (of whom 92% were on anti-retrovirals). Of the 85% who were HIV-uninfected, 39% were on PrEP. In response to the statement that a person with an undetectable viral load cannot transmit HIV to an HIV-uninfected person, 24% strongly agreed. Among HIV-negative GBMSM, 33% of those on PrEP agreed and 12% of those not on PrEP agreed. Among those living with HIV, 42% agreed. A multivariable logistic regression was run to explain correlates of strong agreement with U=U, using the following variables: age, education, being Black, being Hispanic, relationship status, number of lifetime male sexual partners, condom use with most recent anal sex, HIV status, PrEP use, and attitudes about living with HIV. Variables associated with strong agreement with U=U were living with HIV (AOR = 1.63, P < 0.001), taking PrEP (AOR = 2.85, P < 0.001), most recent encounter's condom use (AOR = 2.22, P = 0.003), and having positive attitudes about living with HIV (AOR= 1.93, P < 0.001). Table 1 shows percentages for each of these variables (bivariate relationships) strongly agreeing with U=U. Conclusion Now that U=U has been scientifically proven, the challenge is public awareness. U=U awareness seems to be improving among GBMSM, with HIV-negative GBMSM making the greatest strides. Education around U=U and PrEP efficacy may help reduce guilt around HIV transmission and alleviate HIV stigma. Disclosures All authors: No reported disclosures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]