Ssenyonjo, J., Shrestha, R., & Copenhaver, M.
International Journal of HIV/AIDS Prevention, Education and Behavioural Science, November 2019.
Abstract
Despite evidence from recent trials of the efficacy of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) in reducing the risk of contracting HIV, PrEP uptake has been slow due to a range of social, structural, and behavioral factors. In this systematic review, we examined the influence of stigma on the PrEP care continuum among men and transwomen who have sex with men (MTWSM). We conducted a literature search in the PubMed electronic database (2012–2018) that focused on the PrEP care continuum among high-risk MTWSM. We explored studies that specifically looked at the influence of stigma on the PrEP cascade among these socially disadvantaged populations. Our search yielded 161 articles, of which nine were ultimately included in our systematic review. The results showed a significant association between stigma and unwillingness to seek or use PrEP suggesting that stigma may negatively affect willingness and uptake of PrEP among these high-risk groups.
