CTN Pacific NW Node at ADAI: Outcomes Papers for Study on PrEP in High-HIV-Incidence Southern U.S. Cities

The Pacific Northwest Node of the NIDA Clinical Trials Network, directed by Mary Hatch, PhD (UW ADAI), and John Roll, PhD (WSU), had a very productive 2024, with 4 published papers and 4 more in the works!

(Need help getting copies of the published papers below? Contact ADAI librarian Meg Brunner: meganw@uw.edu.)

New Publications

First, they recently participated in the publication of four papers from CTN-0082, Implementation Survey of PrEP and Opioid Use Related Services in STI Clinics and Community Based Organizations (CBOs), including two primary outcomes papers (first two listed here):

• PrEP for people who use opioids: A NIDA Clinical Trials Network survey study in Southern U.S. cities where HIV incidence is high. Hatch MA, et al. Drug & Alcohol Dependence 2024;257:111133
• Willingness to use oral and long-acting injectable PrEP in substance-using men who have sex with men (SU-MSM) in high HIV incidence Southern U.S. cities: A NIDA Clinical Trials Network study. Tross S, et al. AIDS & Behavior 2024 (epub ahead of print).
• Program director reports of COVID-19 lockdown-driven service changes in community-based STI clinics and syringe services programs in the Southeastern U.S. Hatch MA, et al. AIDS Education & Prevention 2024;36(2):129-140.
• Predictors of PrEP awareness and use among men who have sex with men who use drugs. Paschen-Wolff M, et al. AIDS Care 2025 (in press).

The two outcome papers found that people who use opioids (PWUO) and substance using men who have sex with men (SU-MSM) are both interested in using PrEP. There were distinct factors associated with willingness to use two different types of PrEP formulations: daily oral and long-acting injectable (LAI). For SU-MSM, willingness to use daily oral PrEP was associated with condomless anal sex, less frequent non-injection drug use, and prior PrEP awareness and past use. Willingness to use long-acting injectable PrEP was associated with being Black, identifying as gay, being single, and higher injection drug use. For PWUO, education and condomless vaginal sex was associated with willingness to take daily oral PrEP, while only education predicted willingness to take LAI PrEP.

Careful consideration for matching PrEP messaging to the specific audience is needed. PrEP promotion should expand beyond PWUO and SU-MSM to include people who are predominantly heterosexual and polysubstance-using with HIV risk, who were open to both formulations of PrEP.

Coming Soon

The Node also has four more papers coming out soon!

Currently under journal review:

• Attitudes toward naloxone among people who use opioids in eight southeastern U.S. cities. Le MH, et al. International Journal of Drug Policy.
• Predicting willingness to take medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD): An application of the theories of reasoned action and planned behavior. Lancaster C, et al. Psychology of Addictive Behaviors.

Preparing for submission:

• Perceived effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on substance use and interest in opioid-related services among people who use opioids in the Southern U.S. Laschober TC, et al. International Journal of Drug Policy.
• Using structural equation modeling to understand barriers and facilitators of HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) uptake in MSM who use substances in the Southern U.S. Ertl M, et al. Archives of Sexual Behavior.