Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) use for HIV prevention among college students in the United States.

OBJECTIVE

To assess HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) use for HIV prevention among college students in the United States.

PARTICIPANTS

Full- and part-time students (aged 18+ years) attending 4-year institutions (n = 133831).

METHODS

We conducted a secondary analysis of combined ACHA-NCHA-III survey data from Spring 2022 and Spring 2023. PrEP-to-need ratios (PnR) and PrEP equity ratios (PER) were calculated to identify disparities in PrEP use.

RESULTS

Two percent (n = 2662) of students reported taking PrEP. Overall, the PrEP-to-need ratio (PnR) was 13.9, indicating that approximately 14 students are taking PrEP for every student diagnosed with HIV. PrEP coverage was highest among White students and cisgender women and lowest among Black students and trans/gender-diverse students assigned male at birth.

CONCLUSIONS

Levels of PrEP use were highly inequitable, especially among sexual and gender minority students of color. Future efforts should focus on improving PrEP equity for these students and others at greatest risk for HIV.