TABLE 2.
Pre‐exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) use and behavioural risk factors among SwissPrEPared participants
|
Total (n = 910) |
Retained in study (n = 890) |
Dropouts (n = 20) |
P‐value a | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Taking PrEP at baseline [n (%)] | 687 (75.5) | 678 (76.2) | 9 (45.0) | 0.003 |
| PrEP regimen at baseline [n (%)] | ||||
| Daily, constant | 528 (76.9) | 523 (77.1) | 5 (55.6) | 0.080 |
| Before and after planned sex (‘event‐based’) | 89 (13.0) | 87 (12.8) | 2 (22.2) | |
| Daily, limited time periods (‘holiday PrEP’) | 59 (8.6) | 58 (8.6) | 1 (11.1) | |
| Other regimen | 11 (1.6) | 10 (1.5) | 1 (11.1) | |
| PrEP intake: daily, for limited time periods [median (IQR)] | ||||
| Days before | 2 (1–5) | 2 (1–5) | 1 (1–1) | 0.320 |
| Days after | 2 (2–3.5) | 2 (2–3.75) | 2 (2–2) | 0.475 |
| Number of days on PrEP (past 3 months) | 38 (17–60) | 39 (16–60) | 36 (36–36) | 0.953 |
| PrEP intake: event‐based regimen [median (IQR)] | ||||
| Days before | 1 (1–1) | 1 (1–1) | 1.5 (1.25–1.75) | 0.297 |
| Days after | 2 (2–3) | 2 (2–3) | 3 (2.5–3.5) | 0.353 |
| Number of days on PrEP (past 3 months) | 20 (15–35) | 20 (15–36) | 12 (7–16) | 0.206 |
| PrEP adherence (i.e. frequency of missed medication) [n (%)] | ||||
| In daily PrEP users | (n = 528) | |||
| Never | 317 (60.0) | 313 (59.8) | 4 (80.0) | 0.915 |
| Once a month | 169 (32.0) | 168 (32.1) | 1 (20.0) | |
| Once every second week | 34 (6.4) | 34 (6.5) | 0 (0) | |
| Once a week | 7 (1.3) | 7 (1.3) | 0 (0) | |
| More than once a week | 1 (0.2) | 1 (0.2) | 0 (0) | |
| In ‘holiday PrEP’ users | (n = 59) | |||
| Never | 35 (59.3) | 34 (58.6) | 1 (100.0) | 0.874 |
| Once or twice | 21 (35.6) | 21 (36.2) | 0 (0) | |
| Three to five times | 2 (3.4) | 2 (3.4) | 0 (0) | |
| Six to 10 times | 1 (1.7) | 1 (1.7) | 0 (0) | |
| More than 10 times | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | |
| In ‘event‐based’ PrEP users | (n = 89) | |||
| Never | 66 (74.2) | 64 (73.6) | 2 (100) | 0.700 |
| Once or twice | 22 (24.7) | 22 (25.3) | 0 (0) | |
| Three to five times | 1 (1.1) | 1 (1.1) | 0 (0) | |
| Six to 10 times | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | |
| More than 10 times | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | |
| Purchase mode [n (%)] | ||||
| In a regular pharmacy in Switzerland | 233 (34.0) | 230 (34.0) | 3 (33.3) | 0.757 |
| Through the SwissPrEPared programme (option available as from Oct 2019) | 145 (21.1) | 143 (21.1) | 2 (22.2) | |
| Online pharmacy (outside Europe) | 137 (20.0) | 136 (20.1) | 1 (11.1) | |
| In a regular pharmacy outside Switzerland | 108 (15.7) | 105 (15.5) | 3 (33.3) | |
| Online pharmacy (Europe) | 46 (6.7) | 46 (6.8) | 0 (0) | |
| Other mode | 17 (2.5) | 17 (2.5) | 0 (0) | |
| Number of sexual partners in previous 3 months [median (IQR)] | 5 (2–10) | 5 (2–10) | 2 (1–4) | 0.003 |
| Sex with casual partners [n (%)] | 812 (89.2) | 795 (89.3) | 17 (85.0) | 0.467 |
| Condom use with casual partners [n (%)] | ||||
| Never | 326 (35.8) | 320 (36.0) | 6 (30.0) | 0.022 |
| Sometimes | 316 (34.7) | 313 (35.2) | 3 (15.0) | |
| Mostly | 152 (16.7) | 148 (16.6) | 4 (20.0) | |
| Always | 116 (12.7) | 109 (12.2) | 7 (35.0) | |
| Previous use of post‐exposure prophylaxis [n (%)] | 271 (29.8) | 267 (30.0) | 4 (20.0) | 0.460 |
| Previous sexually transmitted infection [n (%)] | 673 (74.0) | 663 (74.5) | 10 (50.0) | 0.020 |
| Substance use, past 3 months [n (%)] | ||||
| Any substance use (including alcohol) | 851 (93.5) | 832 (93.5) | 19 (95.0) | 1.0 |
| Substance use in a sexual context (including alcohol) | 665 (73.1) | 654 (73.5) | 11 (55.0) | 0.076 |
Abbreviation: IQR, interquartile range.
a
Mann–Whitney U test for continuous variables; Fisher exact test for binary variables.