Table 4.
Beliefs of Attending 3-Month PrEP Follow-Up Appointments (N = 1281)
| Factor | Belief | N (%) | κ | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| ||||
| Predisposing | Regular HIV/STI testing and status awareness (+) | 514 (40.1) | .976 |
“I would know on a regular basis whether or not I have an STD/STI.”
“I would personally want to make sure I am staying HIV- and STI-free to stay on PrEP.” |
| Staying healthy (+) | 438 (34.2) | .972 |
“Would keep me healthy.”
“Good because I would be monitoring my health.” |
|
| Time-consuming and schedule interference (−) | 341 (26.6) | .989 |
“Lose time in school and band.”
“The only bad thing would be my work/class schedule conflicting with when appointments are available.” |
|
| Bloodwork apprehension (−) | 177 (13.8) | .945 |
“Bad: I hate needles.”
“The needles to get tested would hurt.” |
|
| PrEP effectiveness and HIV/STI treatment (+) | 120 (9.4) | .955 |
“Making sure organs are not being affected and medications are working as intended.”
“Getting tested every 3 months ensures that if one does contract HIV, that person will be able to begin treatment as early as possible.” |
|
|
| ||||
| Enabling | Secrecy or suspicion (−) | 148 (11.6) | .953 |
“I would have to continually make excuses to conceal why I’m leaving the house.”
“My parents would be suspicious of why I’m always at the doctors.” |
| Cost or insurance difficulties (−) | 136 (10.6) | .978 |
“The costs can be high for me to go to the doctor without my parents knowing as I am on their insurance.”
“I won’t be able to go because doctor fees are way beyond my budget.” |
|
| Transportation difficulties (−) | 130 (10.1) | .972 |
“I don’t know how I would get there—I don’t have a car.”
“Transportation would be kind of a nuisance since I don’t have a license.” |
|
| Outing themselves (−) | 126 (9.8) | .970 |
“Bad thing is parents might find out I’m gay.”
“My parents would know that I’m having sexual relations.” |
|
Notes. Beliefs denoted by a “+” are perceived to be advantageous aspects about attending 3-month PrEP follow-up appointments. Beliefs denoted by “-” are perceived to be disadvantageous aspects about attending 3-month PrEP follow-up appointments. Percentages do not add to 100% as participants could list more than one belief.