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Journal article
“The Simplest Way to Go”: An Exploration of Why Women Who Inject Drugs Chose Long-Acting Injectable Cabotegravir Instead of Daily Oral PrEP
AIDS and behavior, v 29, pp 3970-3980
06 Aug 2025
PMID: 40767995
Featured in Collection : Research Supported by Drexel Libraries' OA Programs
Abstract
Long-acting injectable PrEP was approved for use in the US in 2021 but roll out has been slow, with few studies exploring uptake among cisgender women who inject drugs (WWID). We purposively recruited 25 WWID within 30-days of receiving a PrEP prescription from a low-barrier clinic co-located with a syringe services program to complete semi-structured interviews about PrEP product choice. We used an intersectional lens to compare decision-making between women choosing injectable PrEP versus oral PrEP and continued enrolling new participants until we reached thematic saturation (12/2022 to 2/2024). Participants represent a diverse sample of WWID (12 women of color) with median age 43 years. Daily injection drug use (72%) and ≥ 1 sex partner (64%) were common. Salient themes from interviews include: (1) PrEP provides women with a valued safety net and initiation is a form of self-preservation. (2) Co-located care, small incentives, and provider respect for WWID's medical autonomy helped participants navigate a multi-visit PrEP intake process. (3) Longer lasting HIV protection with less frequent dosing is preferrable to a shorter acting daily oral medication. When selecting a product, WWID evaluated its attributes against their medical history and personal circumstances like homelessness (64%). Most chose CAB-LA (72%) because it provides longer lasting protection which was a highly valued product attribute. Together, our findings underscore the critical importance of offering multiple PrEP options when implementing HIV prevention strategies that are patient-centered and responsive to the unique needs of WWID.
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Details
- Title
- “The Simplest Way to Go”: An Exploration of Why Women Who Inject Drugs Chose Long-Acting Injectable Cabotegravir Instead of Daily Oral PrEP
- Creators
- Alexis Roth (Corresponding Author) - Drexel UniversityKathleen M Ward - Drexel University, Dana and David Dornsife School of Public HealthErin Christine McDowell - Drexel University, Community Health and PreventionElana K. Forman - Drexel University, Community Health and PreventionK. Rivet Amico - University of MichiganTyler S Bartholomew - University of MiamiDouglas S Krakower - Harvard UniversityDaniel Vader - Drexel University, Epidemiology and BiostatisticsSilvana MazzellaAdam Carrico - Florida International UniversitySusan G Sherman - Johns Hopkins UniversityAllison K Groves - Drexel University, Urban Health Collaborative
- Publication Details
- AIDS and behavior, v 29, pp 3970-3980
- Publisher
- Springer Nature
- Number of pages
- 11
- Grant note
We would like to thank the participants, the TIARAS research staff, the medical reception team, and HIV-related services providers at Prevention Point Philadelphia. Special thanks to Kerry Miley [KM] for her work on data collection.
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Language
- English
- Academic Unit
- Dana and David Dornsife School of Public Health; Epidemiology and Biostatistics; Community Health and Prevention
- Web of Science ID
- WOS:001545088900001
- Scopus ID
- 2-s2.0-105012892909
- Other Identifier
- 991022066654404721
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- Collaboration types
- Domestic collaboration
- Web of Science research areas
- Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
- Social Sciences, Biomedical