Abstract

There are about 1.1 million people currently living with HIV and 15% are unaware of their HIV status. Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) is a prophylactic treatment with the use of Anti-Retro Viral (ARV) medications to prevent HIV transmission. The current study used secondary de-identified data from clinic visits between August 1, 2022, to Jan 31, 2023, to evaluate the impact of one-way SMS communication to increase PrEP uptake in non-HIV, STI testing patients. Participants (n=13485) were 57.6 % male, age 28.5 ±7.9, and 63.2% heterosexual. Data was obtained from a large urban STI clinic in the Southwestern United States. Primary analyses consisted of generalized linear modeling (GLM) using two models to evaluate both main effects and time interaction. There was a significant increase in post-intervention PrEP uptake (p <.001). Significant predictors of PrEP uptake included male gender and identification as LGBTQ+ (p <.001). Not Hispanic or Latino and age group of 51-74 showed increased PrEP uptake from 12.1% to 18.9 % and 12.4% to 21.3% post intervention. Native American Indian and Alaskan Natives improved 3.3 % to 12.7 %. Only marginal increases in PrEP uptake were observed among Black or African Americans, Asians, and White participants. One-way SMS communication served as a cost-effective intervention model and had a positive impact on PrEP uptake within one large urban county. These findings indicate that even with limited data there can be ways to focus awareness campaigns for communities using low-cost alternatives.

Keywords: STI, Pre-exposure prophylaxis, LGBTQ, Telehealth

How to Cite:

Robbins, C. B., Hunt, A., Luong, T. & Rajmohan, A., (2025) “Impact of One-Way SMS Health Communication to Increase PrEP Uptake in Non-HIV, STI Testing Patients: A Pre-Post Intervention Study”, Health Behavior Research 8(3). doi: https://doi.org/10.4148/2572-1836.1315