Post-exposure prophylaxis following consented sexual exposure: impact of national recommendations on user profile, drug regimens and estimates of averted HIV infections.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVES: The aim of the study was to describe the characteristics, impact and outreach of post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) for sexual exposure in Brazil. METHODS: We used secondary data from the Brazilian Ministry of Health to describe the impact of national guidelines on the frequency of prescription, user profile and antiretroviral regimens. We also estimated the number of potentially averted HIV infections attributable to PEP for consented sexual exposure between 2009 and 2017. RESULTS: A total of 260 457 PEP regimens were prescribed to individuals ≥ 14 years old; 104 613 (40.2%) were prescribed for consented sexual exposure, with an increasing frequency since 2011. Drugs used in PEP regimens underwent significant modifications during the period, reflecting national recommendations. We estimated that there were up to 3138 potentially averted HIV infections attributable to PEP for consented sexual exposure between 2009 and 2017. CONCLUSIONS: In the context of a combined HIV prevention strategy, PEP is still an essential tool for individuals for whom other methods are contraindicated or fail to be applied.