The premise for the study is that a tailored approach for rural young men who have sex with men (YMSM), addressing known barriers of transportation, access to providers, and privacy, is most likely to yield high levels of Pre-exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) initiation and persistence in care.
The premise for the study is that a tailored approach for YMSM from rural and small town areas, addressing known barriers of transportation, access to providers, and privacy, is most likely to yield high levels of PrEP initiation and persistence in care. The study sites are Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina, and Mississippi. Using a smartphone application (app), participants assigned to the intervention will receive and maintain a PrEP prescription without needing to leave their home (excepting pharmacy pick-up in some cases) - achieved through app-based surveys/screenings, telemedicine consultations, and home specimen self-collection.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
PREVENTION
Masking
NONE
Enrollment
217
Participants will have a baseline teleconsultation with a site study clinician who will be responsible for prescribing PrEP as indicated. They will be offered a 1-month check-in and telemedicine consultations at 3, 6, 9 and 12 months. Participants will complete home specimen collection for laboratory tests for each consultation. The virtual study visit consists of surveys, specimen collection, and a telemedicine consultation.
University of Alabama at Birmingham
Birmingham, Alabama, United States
Rollins School of Public Health
Atlanta, Georgia, United States
University of Mississippi Medical Center
Jackson, Mississippi, United States
University of North Carolina
Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States
Difference in Tenofovir-diphosphate (TFV-DP) Levels Between Intervention and Control Arms at 6 Months Follow-up
Measurements TFV-DP levels will be conducted for participants in both arms using liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry methods on self-collected DBS samples. TFV-DP level can be translated to an interpretation that indicates the mean number of days per week PrEP is ingested over approximately 1 month preceding specimen collection. The cutpoint used for the primary outcome measure will be medication levels indicating \>4 doses/wk. For participants taking emtricitabine/tenofovir disoproxil fumarate, this will be TFV-DP levels: \>1000 femtomole per blood spot (fmol/punch). For participants taking emtricitabine/tenofovir alafenamide this will be TFV-DP levels: \>140 femtomole per blood spot (fmol/punch).
Time frame: 6-month follow up
Difference in Tenofovir-diphosphate (TFV-DP) Levels Between Intervention and Control Arms at 12 Months Follow-up
Measurement of TFV-DP levels will be conducted for participants in both arms using liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry methods on self-collected DBS samples. TFV-DP level can be translated to an interpretation that indicates the mean number of days per week PrEP is ingested over approximately 1 month preceding specimen collection. The cutpoint used for the primary outcome measure will be medication levels indicating \>4 doses/wk. For participants taking emtricitabine/tenofovir disoproxil fumarate, this will be TFV-DP levels: \>1000 femtomole per blood spot (fmol/punch). For participants taking emtricitabine/tenofovir alafenamide this will be TFV-DP levels: \>140 femtomole per blood spot (fmol/punch).
Time frame: 12-month follow up
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