(P305) PrEPTECH: Clinical Results from a Telehealth Platform for Human Immunodeficiency Virus Infection Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis

Wednesday, July 26, 2023

16:00 – 18:00 CST

Primary Presenter(s)

Thuan-Huong P Doan, n/a (she/her/hers)

Research Assistant
University of California, Los Angeles
Roseville, California, United States

Co-author(s)

RE

Rebecca K. Erenrich, MPH

Senior Methodologist
ETR Associates
San Francisco, California, United States
RB

Rebecca Braun, DrPH, MPH

Lead, YTH Initiative
ETR
Scotts Valley, California, United States
Jeffrey D. Klausner, MD (he/him/his)

Clinical Professor
Department of Population and Public Health Sciences, University of Southern California
Los Angeles, California, United States

Background:

Young men who have sex with men (MSM) and transgender women (TW) experience a high incidence of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and barriers to obtaining HIV PrEP. Telehealth platforms could reduce those barriers. We present the preliminary clinical results of an ongoing randomized-controlled trial of PrEPTECH, an integrated telehealth model for HIV PrEP delivery.

Methods:

We recruited MSM and TW between 18-27 years through social media and dating apps. Participants underwent online risk assessment and requested home self-collection test kits for anorectal Chlamydia trachomatis/Neisseria gonorrhoeae, syphilis, hepatitis B surface antigen, HIV infection and creatinine (myLAB Box©, California, USA). After review of laboratory results, participants were mailed an initial 1-month (for MSM) or 3-month (for TW) supply emtricitabine/tenofovir df 200 mg/300 mg. Participants were followed-up at 30 and 90 days.

Results:

As of January 2023, of 116 participants who requested test kits, 59 (51%) completed self-testing: 1 (1.8%) of 56 anorectal N. gonorrhoeae tests and 0 C. trachomatis tests were positive. Fifty-three (89.8%) of 59 syphilis tests were nonreactive, 1 (1.7%), equivocal, 4 previously treated and 1 newly diagnosed. One (1.7%) of 59 hepatitis B surface antigen results was positive. All HIV infection results were non-reactive. Creatinine test results were all normal (< 1.21 mg/dL).

Fifty-eight participants (98.3%) were mailed medication. Of those (median age 24 years, 74% people of color), 50 (86.2%) reported at least 2 male anal sex partners within the past 6 months, 56 identified as MSM, and 2, as TW. Among the 38 (66.7%) of 57 time-eligible participants who completed 30-day follow-up, 18 (47.4%) reported no adverse events, 6 reported 1 adverse event (15.8%), and 14 (36.8%) reported at least 2, including sore throat, fever, fatigue, or stomach pain. Of the 4 (8.5%) of 47 time-eligible participants who completed 90-day follow-up, 3 reported no adverse events and 1 reported 2 adverse events.

Conclusion

Among these telehealth PrEP initiators, we observed few baseline STIs and no renal parameters that would prohibit starting PrEP. Online PrEP programs may facilitate access to PrEP for young MSM and TW.