Awareness of HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis among men who have sex with men using apps for sexual encounters in Turkiye

Abstract

Background New HIV diagnoses are rising in Turkiye. Men who have sex with men (MSM) are estimated to be the main driver of the epidemic. Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) was proven to be effective in reducing new HIV diagnoses and PrEP recently became available in Turkiye. Objective To assess awareness of and willingness to use PrEP and the level of off-licence use among MSM. Methods An anonymous self-completed questionnaire was sent out over the Hornet Gay Social Network from December 2019 to February 2020, available in Turkish and Arabic. It included 20 questions on HIV and STI testing, PrEP awareness, PrEP use, willingness to use, chemsex and sexual happiness level. Results Overall 4761 respondents who responded to more than 1/3 of the questions were eligible for analyses; 5.5% was Arabic speaking. The mean age was 30.5 years, 31.4% had never tested for HIV, 40.5% knew what PrEP was, the most common source of knowledge was the internet (44.5%), 2.5% (120) had used PrEP in the last 12 months and 1.7% (83) was current users. PrEP users had accessed drugs over the internet (47.6%), pharmacy (23%), and friends (13.8%). Almost 40% were willing to use PrEP in the following 6 months. Younger and Arabic speaking respondents had lower rates of HIV testing ( p = .001) and lower awareness for PrEP than comparators ( p = .004). Conclusion Awareness and willingness to use PrEP is high among MSM in Turkiye. The recent availability of PrEP in the country is a big step forward in terms of prevention.

Missed Opportunities in HIV Testing in Turkiye: Implications for Late Diagnoses

“…30,32,33 Although there is no study from Turkiye specifically examining the perception of HIV risk and testing frequencies among various populations, a recent Hornet survey on HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis showed that a high percentage (63%) of MSM had never tested for HIV. 34 The major barriers to testing at the patient level were identified as low-risk perception and fear of HIV disease and disclosure concerns. 35,36 Fear of being stigmatized for HIV and for sexual orientation may also have contributed to nontesting.…”

PrEP Scale-Up and PEP in Central and Eastern Europe: Changes in Time and the Challenges We Face with No Expected HIV Vaccine in the near Future

“…A large-scale survey including the general population in Britain suggested that the majority of those who reported practicing unsafe sex did not have a high perceived risk of HIV infection [ 36 ]. There are also disparities in PrEP awareness and risk perception among other vulnerable groups such as ethnic minorities, women, and displaced people [ 36 , 37 , 38 ]. People with lower education levels and low risk perception are reported to have significantly lower interest in using PrEP [ 33 , 35 ].…”

HIV Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis in Central and Eastern Europe-Gains and Challenges in An Ever-Changing World

“…Türkiye was among the countries with no PrEP availability. A Hornet survey including more than 4700 respondents from Türkiye reported that approximately 40% of respondents were aware of PrEP, 2.5% had used PrEP in the previous year, and 1.7% were current users, primarily through the internet and pharmacies, which was off label use ( 29 ). Respondents younger than 25 years who are considered most at risk, were significantly less aware of and less willing to use PrEP compared to older respondents.…”