HIV prevention method preferences were evaluated among Kenyan men who have sex with men (MSM) and transgender women (TW) from three sites: Kisumu, Nairobi and the Coast. Information sessions detailing the attributes, duration of protection, route of administration and probable visibility were attended by 464 HIV negative participants, of whom 423 (median age: 24 years) agreed to be interviewed. Across pairwise comparisons daily PrEP was by far the least preferred (1%); quarterly injections (26%) and monthly pills (23%) were most preferred, followed by yearly implant (19%) and condoms (12%). When participants were "forced" to choose their most preferred PrEP option, only 10 (2.4%) chose the daily pill; more (37.1%) chose the quarterly injection than the monthly pill (34.8%) and the yearly implant (25.8%). TW preferred the yearly implant over the quarterly injection. To achieve the rates of PrEP uptake and adherence necessary for protecting large proportions of vulnerable MSM and TW, a variety of long-acting products should be developed and made accessible to appeal to a diversity of preferences.
AIDS and behavior
10/06/2022
Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, University of Illinois at Chicago, 1603 West Taylor Street, 60612, Chicago, IL, USA. rcbailey@uic.edu.