Awareness

This section focuses on the awareness of PrEP, highlighting reasons providers may not provide PrEP and areas where lack of knowledge can be a barrier to PrEP.

The CDC recommends that all sexually active adults and adolescents be informed about HIV PrEP.1

General Public Awareness of PrEP Remains Low Among Certain Demographics2,3

Only 67.5% of young men who have sex with men are aware of PrEP
Only 32.3% of sexually active heterosexual adults are aware of PrEP
Despite the Need for PrEP, Providers May Not Provide It for a Variety of Reasons4,5
“Purview Paradox”4,a
Concerns About Cost4
Lack of Knowledge5
Concerns About Behavior4
Refusal or Interpersonal Stigma5
Pill-bottle-Icon
Concerns About Adherence4

aPurview Paradox refers to a discordance in beliefs about who should prescribe PrEP.

Lack of adequate knowledge may be a barrier to PrEP prescribing6

In an October 2019 survey of primary HCPs practicing across the JPS Health Network in Tarrant County, TX (N=62):
PrEP awareness is as high as 98% among providers working in safety-net health systems
However, 55% indicated insufficient knowledge about PrEP to have an informed conversation with their patients
Another 55% did not initiate a discussion about PrEP with their patients within the previous year
Providers with low knowledge of PrEP had 69% lower odds of prescribing PrEP within the previous year
Unmet Needs for Knowledge Training Among Safety-Net Primary Care Providers (N=62)
Chart showing level of agreement about eligibly for PrEP, concern about PrEP side effects, and concern about low adherence

YMSM, young men who have sex with men.

References:

  1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Preexposure prophylaxis for the prevention of HIV infection in the United States -- 2021 update: a clinical practice guideline. Published December 2021. Accessed September 8, 2025. https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/112360
  2. Strauss BB, Greene GJ, Phillips II G, et al. Exploring patterns of awareness and use of HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis among young men who have sex with men. AIDS Behav. 2017;21(5):1288-1298. doi:10.1007/s10461-016-1480-0
  3. Baugher AR, Trujillo L, Kanny D, et al. Racial, ethnic, and gender disparities in awareness of preexposure prophylaxis among HIV-negative heterosexually active adults at increased risk for HIV infection—23 urban areas, United States, 2019. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2021;70(47):1635-1639. doi:10.15585/mmwr.mm7047a3
  4. Pleuhs B, Quinn KG, Walsh JL, Petroll AE, John SA. Health care provider barriers to HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis in the United States: a systematic review. AIDS Patient Care STDS. 2020;34(3):111-123. doi:10.1089/apc.2019.0189
  5. Skolnik AA, Bokhour BG, Gifford AL, Wilson BM, Van Epps P. Roadblocks to PrEP: what medical records reveal about access to HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis. J Gen Intern Med. 2020;35(3):832-838. doi:10.1007/s11606-019-05475-9
  6. Agovi A M-A, Anikpo I, Cvitanovich MJ, Craten KJ, Asuelime EO, Ojha RP. Knowledge needs for implementing HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis among primary care providers in a safety-net health system. Prev Med Rep. 2020;20:101266. doi:10.1016/j.pmedr.2020.101266