PrEP awareness, willingness, and likelihood to use future HIV prevention methods among undergraduate college students in an ending the HIV epidemic jurisdiction

• Published in: Journal of American college health 2025-02, Vol.73 (2), p.700-709
• Main Authors: Zarwell, Meagan, Patton, Alexandra, Gunn, Laura H., Benziger, Alyssa, Witt, Brian, Robinson, Patrick A., Terrell, Debra F.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Antiretroviral drugs; College students; Colleges & universities; Disease prevention; Epidemics; Female; Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; Heterosexuality; HIV; HIV Infections - epidemiology; HIV Infections - prevention & control; HIV Infections - psychology; HIV prevention; Human immunodeficiency virus; Humans; Implants; Jurisdiction; Male; Minority Groups; Patient Acceptance of Health Care - psychology; Patient Acceptance of Health Care - statistics & numerical data; Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis - statistics & numerical data; PrEP; Prevention programs; Preventive medicine; sexual health; Students - psychology; Students - statistics & numerical data; Surveys and Questionnaires; undergraduate college students; Undergraduate students; Universities - statistics & numerical data; Uptake; Willingness; Young Adult
• ISSN: 0744-8481; 1940-3208
• DOI: 10.1080/07448481.2023.2232885

Identify factors associated with PrEP awareness, willingness, and future prevention modalities among undergraduate college students. Undergraduates (N = 701) were recruited from a private university, a public research university, and a private historically Black college and university for an online survey. Upon multiple imputations, a multivariate logistic model, a multivariate multinomial model, and independent multivariate ordinal logistic models were used to calculate Rubin's rules-pooled adjusted odds ratios for PrEP awareness, willingness, and future HIV prevention methods. Only 33.4% of students had heard of and 32.4% were willing to take PrEP. PrEP willingness was higher among sexual minority students compared to heterosexual/straight students (OR = 1.65; 95% CI: 1.03-2.63); p = .036). The likelihood to take a future vaccine or antibody prophylaxis treatment was higher than the likelihood to take injectable PrEP or implants. Interventions to increase PrEP uptake and willingness among undergraduates should emphasize equity in HIV education and include future prevention modalities.