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Integrating PrEP

CME

Integrating PrEP in Asia

Physicians: maximum of 1.00 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit

Released: June 09, 2025

Expiration: June 08, 2026

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Case 1: Ms. K

Let us start the course by considering our first case study.

Ms. K is a 29-year-old heterosexual cisgender woman. She presents at the clinic for vaginal discharge and dysuria.

On asking about her sexual history, she reports 1 fixed, cisgender male partner who has multiple sex partners of both genders outside their relationship. Ms. K uses condoms most of the time during vaginal sex with her partner. She has a history of gonorrhea vaginitis from 1 year ago and has never received any tests for HIV.

What Would You Like to Talk About With Ms. K?

How should you approach clients like Ms. K? There are many topics to discuss, although with limited time at a busy clinic.

HCPs might feel as though there is not enough time to talk about everything in a single visit, especially if patients are not fully aware of their risks of STI acquisition.

So here are some of the primary points that I think are worth mentioning. First, it is important to test and treat Ms. K for a urinary tract infection and other STIs. Ideally, her partner would be tested as well.

Having built mutual trust by addressing her acute concern, you can proceed to discussing more comprehensive sexual health services, including HIV screening, contraception, PrEP for HIV, and prevention for other STIs (such as suggesting doxycycline postexposure prophylaxis [DoxyPEP] use) for her and her partner.

It is important to take sexual partners into consideration when discussing sexual health, including testing, treatment, and prevention of HIV and other STIs.

The Collateral Benefits of PrEP

Ms. K is a good example of a member of a key population that accounts for most of the new HIV infections in the Asia Pacific region.

Providing PrEP to these populations not only prevents new HIV infections, but also provides other benefits. For example, PrEP can empower users by allowing them to take control of their own HIV risk rather than depending on their partners to use condoms, take antiretroviral therapy, or disclose their HIV status. This often results in improved mental health and reduced anxiety regarding HIV acquisition among PrEP users.1-3

For serodiscordant couples who plan to have children, PrEP provides additional protection against HIV acquisition for safer conception.1-3  

Last but not least, PrEP also provides an alternative method of HIV prophylaxis for people who prefer not to use condoms due to reduced pleasure or erectile dysfunction.1-3