Relationship Factors and Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) use for Gay and Bisexual Men (1 CE)
Number of Credits: 1
This course is for: Clinical Psychologists, Counselors, and LMFTs
Course By: Michael Parent, PhD
Content By: John, S. A., Starks, T. J., Rendina, H. J., Grov, C., & Parsons, J. T. (2018). Should I convince my partner to go on pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP)? The role of personal and relationship factors on PrEP-related social control among gay and bisexual men. AIDS and Behavior, 22, 1239-1252. doi: 10.1007/s10461-017-1835-1
Course Description: Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is a daily medication that reduces the risk of HIV to almost zero. A study of 409 gay, bisexual, and other men who engage in sexual behavior with men (GBM) was conducted. The participants were all HIV negative individuals, not on PrEP who were actively in partnerships with other HIV-negative men, also not on PreP. Participants were asked about (1) the importance of partner PrEP use and (2) their willingness to convince their partner to initiate PrEP. The researchers found the most substantial predictors of participants’ partner PrEP use were willingness and intention among participants to use PrEP themselves. The authors proposed that interventions for targeting GBM who are at high risk for HIV infection mainly focus on individual uptake of PrEP, since personal willingness to take PrEP strongly impacted partner PrEP use. The authors also suggest that PrEP use can be conceptualized as a couples’ activity aimed at promoting mutual health. Future research may examine PrEP use among HIV sero-discordant couples and long-term patterns of discussion of PrEP use in couples.
Learning Objectives:
- Identify the medical purpose of PrEP
- Explain why discussion between partners in a relationship is important to PrEP uptake
- List the strongest predictors of PrEP partner uptake
Course Outline:
- Read and understand Should I convince my partner to go on pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP)? The role of personal and relationship factors on PrEP-related social control among gay and bisexual men.
- Review the Course Description and Learning Objectives.
- Review the purpose of PrEP medication and identify why PrEP use is important in relationships.
- Complete the post-test questions. Recall that answers should be based on the referenced article.
- Return to the referenced article for any missed questions and/or to understand use of PrEP in men’s same-gender relationships.
Implicit biases incorporate an association that occurs outside of conscious awareness that may resultantly lead to a negative patient evaluation derived from irrelevant characteristics; i.e. gender and/or race. A systematic review of the literature was conducted. Thirty-five studies identified the existence of implicit bias in healthcare professionals; all correlational studies evidenced a significant positive relationship between implicit bias levels and lower quality of care (FitzGerald & Hurst, 2017). Continued research in health care settings, combined with greater method homogeneity, should be employed to examine the occurrence and prevalence of implicit biases in healthcare settings as a strategic approach for mitigating related disparities (FitzGerald & Hurst, 2017).
Reference:
FitzGerald, C., Hurst, S. (2017). Implicit bias in healthcare professionals: a systematic review. BMC Med Ethics 18, 19. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12910-017-0179-8
Approvals:
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Board Approvals | American Psychological Association (APA), NBCC, Florida Board - Social Work, MFT, Counseling, and Psychology, NYSED - Social Work, MFT and Counseling Only, American Academy of Health Care Providers in the Addictive Disorders |
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CE Format | Online, Text-Based |