Despite the efficacy of HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), retention in care in the United States remains suboptimal. The goal of this study was to explore factors that lead to suboptimal retention in PrEP care for men who have sex with men (MSM) in real-world clinical settings in the United States. Trained interviewers conducted semi-structured interviews with MSM (N = 49) from three clinics who had been engaged in PrEP care in the Midwest (n = 15), South (n = 15), and Northeast (n = 19) geographic regions and had experienced a lapse in PrEP use. Factors that emerged as related to suboptimal retention in PrEP care included structural factors such as transportation and out-of-pocket costs; social factors such as misinformation on media and in personal networks; clinical factors such as frequency and timing of appointments; and behavioral factors such as changes in sexual behavior and low perceived risk for HIV. Participants suggested reducing the out-of-pocket costs of medications and lab visits, having flexible appointment times, culturally responsive services, and comprehensive patient navigation to help retention in care. These findings leveraged real-world experiences and opinions of patients to inform gaps in current services and how to make changes to optimize PrEP care.
Keywords: HIV prevention; Pre-exposure prophylaxis; men who have sex with men; retention.