Social judgments of sexual behavior and use of HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis

Abstract

Bio-medical HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) can drastically decrease the transmission of HIV between sexual partners. However, peer evaluations may worry men who have sex with men (MSM) that are considering or taking PrEP. We used a trait transference paradigm to characterize attitudes towards PrEP users, their sexual behavior, and transference effects on their social network. We recruited 339 men across nine U.S. cities from advertisements on a phone dating application. They judged vignettes about MSM and associated friends on their trustworthiness and responsibility, with the main character described as having frequently changing partners (FCP) or monogamous, and taking PrEP or not. We found PrEP praise within our U.S. sample, especially when evaluating responsibility, while FCP behavior was negatively evaluated. Minimal transference effects suggested judgments about sex-related actions anchor to the actor. These insights identify contextual boundaries of associative cognition and can inform interventions hoping to improve PrEP acceptance and uptake.

Socio-Sexual Experiences and Access to Healthcare Among Informal PrEP Users in the Netherlands

“…On the other hand, PrEP users can also be preferred as sex partners by MSM who are not using PrEP, as they are potentially at lower risk of transmitting HIV [45]. PrEP users have also been seen as more responsible and trustworthy, and their use of PrEP was not itself perceived as a reflection of sexual promiscuity [46]. Given these mixed findings regarding PrEP-related stigma, it is important to further explore the responses that informal PrEP users face from other MSM and potential sex partners.…”