Table 5.
Removable Implant Optimal Attribute Combinations: Men Who Have Sex with Men
| Product attribute | Base implant | Implant 1 | Implant 2 | Implant 3 | Implant 4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Description | Two 3.7 mm implants | ||||
| Length of protection/quantity | Implants removed and new implants inserted every 12 months | ||||
| Chances of becoming infected with HIV each yeara | One person out of 500 on implant is infected | One person out of 500 on implant is infected | One person out of 300 on implant is infected | One person out of 500 on implant is infected | One person out of 300 on implant is infected |
| Side effects | Rare side effects of pill mostly eliminated | Rare side effects of pill mostly eliminated | Rare side effects of pill mostly eliminated | Rare side effects of the pill are cut in half | Rare side effects of the pill are cut in half |
| Possible problems | Possibility of small scars, rare possibility of implant moving | ||||
| Reversibility of medication (in case of side effect or desire to stop medication) | Implants can be removed anytime | ||||
| Cost of treatment for those with health insurance | Typical copay with insurance is $4,440 per year | Typical copay with insurance is $440 per year | |||
| Preference shares (MSM) | |||||
| Black/African American (%) | 8.7 | 12.5 | 12.4 | 12.4 | 12.4 |
| White (%) | 9.7 | 14.0 | 14.0 | 13.9 | 13.9 |
| Total (%) | 9.2 | 13.3 | 13.3 | 13.2 | 13.2 |
Across MSM groups, the base version of the removable implant offered at the lowest cost has the highest preference share (∼4 points above the base case). This is Implant 1. Assumes the pill and injection treatments are included in the market at their respective base levels.
a
Modifying the chance of infection (e.g., 1 person out of 500 on implant becomes infected) or possible side effects (rare side effects of pill are mostly eliminated) had only a slight impact on preference when using the base implant.