Optimizing Low Threshold TelePrEP Care in Syringe Service Programs for People Who Inject Drugs in Appalachia
The expansion of HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) care has been endorsed as a key strategy for reducing new HIV infections, however, PrEP trials among people who inject drugs (PWID) are rare and uptake of PrEP has been minimal, most notably in rural areas. Structural barriers to healthcare access, lack of providers, and inadequate infrastructure to deliver PrEP are challenges in many rural areas. In addition, PWID often have social determinant barriers to PrEP care. This study will integrate telehealth PrEP care within syringe services programs (SSPs), a venue already routinely accessed by PWID, to reduce structural barriers to evidence-based HIV prevention through co-located comprehensive PrEP services, and test this against a standard of care approach in a pilot randomized clinical trial. The primary objective is to examine preliminary efficacy and effect sizes of novel integrated telehealth care versus standard education and active referral on the primary outcome of PrEP initiation in HIV-negative participants who inject drugs.
• be at least 18 years of age
• report at least one occasion of injection drug use in the past month
• report an indication for PrEP in the past six months consistent with CDC guidelines for PrEP care
• be a documented client of the county SSP at the time of study entry
• express willingness to participate in a multi-session intervention and follow-up