The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in “profound” changes to the healthcare and social landscape that impacted access to PrEP, social networks, and vulnerability to HIV acquisition, according to results published in JAIDS. Rodman Turpin, PhD, MS, and colleagues surveyed Black men about how the pandemic impacted their engagement in PrEP use and considerations for using it. The analysis identified three major themes, including changes in the healthcare system, changes in sexual and relationship status, and COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy and misinformation. The researchers discovered prevalent relationships between COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy and PrEP hesitancy, with respondents noting that COVID-19 hesitancy could directly deter PrEP use through further erosion of trust in the medical system. “The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the healthcare and social landscape in profound ways that affect PrEP access, sexual networks, and associated HIV vulnerability,” Dr. Turpin and colleagues wrote. “Future research further exploring relationships between specific pandemic stressors and HIV prevention among Black sexual minority men is recommended.”
