Peer-reviewed article

216 Relationships Between Self-Perceived Risk of HIV, Behavioral Risk of HIV, and Self-Reported Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) Utilization Among Young Men Who Have Sex with Men of Color at Risk for HIV Infection: Findings From a Prospective Cohort Study

Warus J, Hidalgo M, Wong C, Olson-Kennedy J · 27 Apr 2023

Abstract

OBJECTIVES/GOALS: To improve our delivery of HIV prevention services by evaluating associations between self-perceived risk of HIV, objective risk for HIV based on sexual risk, and self-reported lifetime PrEP use. This will expand our current understanding of an essential component of decision making for PrEP uptake in young men who have sex with men (YMSM). METHODS/STUDY POPULATION: The population consists of participants in the Healthy Young Men (HYM) observational cohort study (16-24-year-old YMSM of color at risk for HIV in Los Angeles). Secondary analysis was conducted using an existing data set to test associations between self-perceived risk of HIV, behavioral sexual risk, and self-report of lifetime PrEP use at baseline. RESULTS/ANTICIPATED RESULTS: The HYM cohort consists of 397 HIV-negative young men who have sex with men from Los Angeles; 21% identify as African American/Black, 59% as Latinx, and 20% as multiethnic. Of these participants, 90% were aware of PrEP and 86% were eligible for PrEP according to CDC behavioral risk criteria; however, only 23% had ever been prescribed PrEP. We hypothesize that those who have utilized PrEP will report higher self-perceived risk of HIV infection and will have stronger correlation between self-perceived and objective risk for HIV. Associations will be tested using appropriate chi-square tests. DISCUSSION/SIGNIFICANCE: Self-perceived risk of HIV is proposed as a strong predictor of engagement in HIV prevention. This has been widely understudied in youth in the context of accessing PrEP. A better understanding of the role of self-perceived risk is essential to create and improve interventions to increase PrEP uptake as well as to improve PrEP service delivery for youth.