PrEP Engagement in a Sample of Youth Experiencing Homelessness in New York City: A Brief Report

Few studies have examined pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) engagement among youth experiencing homelessness (YEH), despite high HIV risk. We collected data using a cross-sectional survey from YEH ages 16-24 in New York City (NYC). We assessed YEH awareness, willingness to use, and plans to take PrEP. We conducted primarily descriptive and bivariate analyses for this brief report and found that 49 (48%) identified as LGBTQ + and 74 (66%) reported food insecurity. The majority of our sample (69%) reported health insurance coverage. In total, 55 (45%) had heard of PrEP before the survey, 78 (73%) reported willingness to take PrEP, and 26 (25%) had a plan to take it. Gender and LGBTQ + status were associated with awareness of PrEP, while transactional sex and experiencing food insecurity were associated with plans to take PrEP. Interventions to improve awareness of PrEP and encourage use are critical to reducing HIV in YEH.