Abstract
Pre-exposure prophylaxis is effective in preventing HIV, but data show that its effectiveness is compromised by suboptimal adherence. This randomized controlled trial (n = 69) tested the impact of an iPhone game, Viral Combat, on PrEP adherence over 24 weeks. Tenofovir-diphosphate in red blood cells was collected as a biological outcome of adherence. At 24-weeks, intervention participants were 3.75 (95% CI: 1.20–11.77; p = 0.02) times as likely to engage in optimal PrEP dosing compared to controls. Viral Combat showed preliminary efficacy in improving PrEP adherence for diverse young men who have sex with men.
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Acknowledgements
This publication was made possible with help from the Providence-Boston Center for AIDS Research (P30 AI 042853) and support from grant number R34MH104068 (MPI: LW, LKB) from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.
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LM has received honoraria for advisory boards and speaker bureau participation from Gilead Sciences, ViiV Healthcare, and Merck, and his institution has received grants from these companies.
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Whiteley, L., Craker, L., Haubrick, K.K. et al. The Impact of a Mobile Gaming Intervention to Increase Adherence to Pre-exposure Prophylaxis. AIDS Behav (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10461-020-03118-3
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Keywords
- Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP)
- Adherence
- Men who have sex with men (MSM)
- Mobile technology intervention