Disparities Found in Rates of PrEP Discontinuation

Disparities exist in rates of PrEP reversal and abandonment, according to findings published in AIDS. Lorraine T. Dean, ScD, and colleagues examined geographic differences in PrEP reversal and abandonment in counties participating in Ending the HIV Epidemic (EHE) and non-EHE counties. In 516 counties representing 36,204 patients, the overall rate of PrEP reversal was 19.4%, and the PrEP abandonment rate was 13.7%. Rates of reversal and abandonment were higher in non-EHE counties (22.7% and 17.1%, respectively) when compared with EHE counties (15.6% and 10.5%, respectively). In both EHE and non-EHE counties, researchers found characteristics that included younger age, less education, being a woman, and having an out-of-pocket cost of more than $100 were associated with a higher likelihood of living in PrEP reversal or abandonment hotspots. Hispanic patients, Medicaid recipients, and those with an out-of-pocket cost of $10 or less had a lower likelihood of residing in such hotspots.