ASSESSMENT OF AWARENESS ABOUT A PRE-EXPOSURE PROPHYLAXIS PROCEDURE IN HIV-INFECTED PATIENTS, THEIR ATTITUDE TOWARDS ITS IMPLEMENTATION, AND PROSPECTS FOR ITS APPLICATION IN RUSSIA

Objective. To study the awareness of Russian HIV-infected patients about a pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) procedure and the assessments of prospects for its application and to clarify their attitude to the latter. Materials and methods. The study enrolled 96 patients infected with HIV. The investigators used a semistructured interview that included indicators as open and closed questions, the answers to which could clarify the sociodemographic characteristics of the study participants and their awareness about prevention of HIV transmission. Results. At the time of the interview, 61% of the respondents were unaware of the existence of the PrEP method. 16% ofthe respondents having discordant partners noted that they did not use HIV prevention methods. Most (77%) of the respondents expressed a positive attitude to the PrEP procedure; 10% reported that they did not think about this. 47, 29, and 24% assessed PrEP positively, doubtfully, and negatively respectively. The Internet was a primary source of information on PrEP for respondents; only 8% learned about the method from health workers. Conclusion. It is advisable to monitor the risk of HIV transmission, by assessing the time course of changes in the characteristics of the risk behavior of patients who are followed up and receive ART. Emphasizing the cause-and-effect relationship between adherence to physician recommendations and a lower risk of HIV transmission during adherence counseling enhances the ability to shape a desirable behavior in patients. To promote this prevention method, it is necessary to elaborate a PtEP algorithm, in the structure of which a significant place should be given to information and advice on reducing the risk of HIV transmission.

HIV infection, pre-exposure prophylaxis, awareness, attitude