Uptake of PrEP may be limited because few gay men think they are at risk of HIV infection

Toronto study highlights disconnect between ‘objective’ and ‘subjective’ assessments of risk

Three quarters of gay men seeking HIV testing at a Toronto sexual health clinic were assessed as being at elevated risk of infection, but only a minority agreed with that assessment and were willing to use pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), according to a study presented to Controlling the HIV Epidemic with Antiretrovirals: From Consensus to Implementation, a conference held in London this week.

The study found that men who did rate themselves at increased risk of infection were more likely to be willing to use PrEP, but that men ‘objectively’ at increased risk were no more likely than others to be interested in using PrEP.

However, it remains possible that the ‘objective’ screening tool used was not finely tuned enough to identify the men who would benefit most from new methods of HIV prevention.

Roger Pebody
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During the Canada Post strike announced September 25, 2025, the following measures will be undertaken to minimize service disruption to BC-CfE clients and providers.

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