Real-Time Monitoring and Point-of-Care Testing: A Review of the Current Landscape of PrEP Adherence Monitoring

A Systematic Review of Oral Pre-exposure Prophylaxis HIV Adherence Interventions

ABSTRACT

Clinical trials of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) to prevent HIV infection have established its efficacy as upwards of 99%. Despite this, the effectiveness of this medication has been shown to be diminished by individual factors, such as medication adherence. We completed a systematic review to identify and describe interventions to improve oral PrEP adherence. Overall, 16 articles were located. Two of the articles reported on results from the same trial and were collapsed for analysis, bringing the total to 15 studies. Twelve unique PrEP adherence interventions were tested, with the most common intervention being the use of mobile phone technology, which was used in 7 (46%) of the studies. Ten (67%) studies found that medication adherence improved when participants received an intervention to support adherence. Adherence intervention strategies effectively improved PrEP adherence. Further research into PrEP adherence interventions is warranted, particularly among diverse groups.

Urine tenofovir testing for real-time PrEP adherence feedback: a qualitative study involving transgender women in Uganda

INTRODUCTION

Adherence counselling with point-of-care (POC) drug-level feedback using a novel tenofovir assay may support pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) adherence; however, perceptions of urine testing and its impact on adherence are not well studied. We qualitatively examined how POC tenofovir testing was experienced by transgender women (TGW) in Uganda.

METHODS

Within a cluster randomized trial of peer-delivered HIV self-testing, self-sampling for sexually transmitted infections and PrEP among HIV-negative TGW showing overall low PrEP prevention-effective adherence (NCT04328025), we conducted a nested qualitative sub-study of the urine POC assay among a random sample of 30 TGW (August 2021-February 2022). TGW interviews explored: (1) experiences with POC urine tenofovir testing and (2) perceptions of PrEP adherence counselling with drug-level feedback. We used an inductive content analytic approach for analysis.

RESULTS

Median age was 21 years (interquartile range 20-24), and 70% engaged in sex work. Four content categories describe how TGW experienced POC urine tenofovir testing: (1) Urine tenofovir testing was initially met with scepticism: Testing urine to detect PrEP initially induced anxiety, with some perceptions of being intrusive and unwarranted. With counselling, however, participants found POC testing acceptable and beneficial. (2) Alignment of urine test results and adherence behaviours: Drug-level feedback aligned with what TGW knew about their adherence. Concurrence between pill taking and tenofovir detection in urine reinforced confidence in test accuracy. (3) Interpretation of urine tenofovir results: TGW familiar with the interpretation of oral-fluid HIV self-tests knew that two lines on the test device signified positivity (presence of HIV). However, two lines on the urine test strip indicated a positive result for non-adherence (absence of tenofovir), causing confusion. Research nurses explained the difference in test interpretation to participants' satisfaction. (4) White coat dosing: Some TGW deliberately chose not to attend scheduled clinic appointments to avoid detecting their PrEP non-adherence during urine testing. They restarted PrEP before returning to clinic, a behaviour called "white coat dosing."

CONCLUSIONS

Incorporating POC urine testing into routine PrEP adherence counselling was acceptable and potentially beneficial for TGW but required attention to context. Additional research is needed to identify effective strategies for optimizing adherence monitoring and counselling for this population.

Challenges, risks, and opportunities of antiretroviral drugs in women of reproductive potential

INTRODUCTION

The HIV/AIDS epidemic has been one of the greatest challenges in global health, significantly affecting women of reproductive potential. Considerable advances in antiretroviral therapy for women living with HIV have contributed to improvements in quality of life, better reproductive and birth outcomes, and a reduced risk of perinatal transmission.

AREAS COVERED

Despite the progress made, persistent challenges in access and adherence to antiretroviral drugs may limit their benefits for some women. More pharmacokinetic and safety studies in pregnant and lactating women are urgently needed, as are prospective surveillance systems to evaluate associations between fetal and infant antiretroviral exposures, drug-drug interactions, and pregnancy outcomes.

EXPERT OPINION

Multipurpose technologies, such as combined HIV and other STI or unintended pregnancy prevention, and innovative delivery methods, such as the development of long-acting antiretrovirals, have the potential to reduce adherence challenges and enhance quality of life for women with HIV. Parallel advances in drug safety testing and surveillance are needed to ensure the health and safety of women with or at risk for HIV and children at risk for perinatal transmission.

Preferred techniques of hair harvest for medical testing among adult pulmonary TB patients

Background

Antiretroviral hair drug levels are currently being used to monitor adherence to HIV treatment. There is currently a dearth of literature on the preferred technique(s) of hair harvest for medical testing in the context of African multicultural settings.

Objective

To explore the preferred techniques(s) of hair harvest for medical testing among TB patients.

Methods

We used a descriptive phenomenological approach to conduct interviews for 15 TB patients from the 06th through the 24th of June 2022. Data was organized by N-VIVO version 10 and analysed step by step using a thematic analytical approach.

Results

Participants aged <30 years were more knowledgeable, positively perceived, and experienced about the salon-based hair cutting technique compared to those aged≥30 years old. Participants aged ≥30 had experience, flexibility to use, and were knowledgeable in all three techniques, Overall, for all age categories (<30,30-40 and >40 years), majority of the respondents were knowledgeable, flexible and experienced in using all the three techniques.

Conclusion

The majority of TB patients were knowledgeable, experienced and flexible about the hair cutting techniques however, efforts are needed to educate the youth that hair for medical testing can be cut by any of the three techniques without changing their cosmetic look.

Lessons Learned From the Implementation of a Pilot Study on Self-collected Specimen Return by Sexual Minority Men (Project Caboodle!): Qualitative Exploration

BACKGROUND

Self-collection of specimens at home and their return by mail might help reduce some of the barriers to HIV and bacterial sexually transmitted infection (STI) screening encountered by gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (GBMSM). To evaluate the benefits and challenges of bringing this approach to scale, researchers are increasingly requesting GBMSM to return self-collected specimens as part of web-based sexual health studies. Testing self-collected hair samples for preexposure prophylaxis drug levels may also be a viable option to identify GBMSM who face adherence difficulties and offer them support.

OBJECTIVE

Project Caboodle! sought to evaluate the acceptability and feasibility of self-collecting at home and returning by mail 5 specimens (a finger-stick blood sample, a pharyngeal swab, a rectal swab, a urine specimen, and a hair sample) among 100 sexually active GBMSM in the United States aged between 18 and 34 years. In this manuscript, we aimed to describe the key lessons learned from our study's implementation and to present recommendations offered by participants to maximize the rates of self-collected specimen return.

METHODS

Following the specimen self-collection phase, a subset of 25 participants (11 who returned all 5 specimens, 4 who returned between 1 and 4 specimens, and 10 who did not return any specimens) was selected for in-depth interviews conducted via a videoconferencing platform. During the session, a semistructured interview guide was used to discuss the factors influencing decisions regarding returning self-collected specimens for laboratory processing. The transcripts were analyzed using template analysis.

RESULTS

University branding of web-based and physical materials instilled a sense of trust in participants and increased their confidence in the test results. Shipping the specimen self-collection box in plain unmarked packaging promoted discretion during transit and on its receipt. Using different colored bags with matching color-coded instructions to self-collect each type of specimen minimized the potential for confusion. Participants recommended including prerecorded instructional videos to supplement the written instructions, providing information on the importance of triple-site bacterial STI testing, and adding a reminder of the types of testing that would and would not be conducted on hair samples. Participants also suggested tailoring the specimen self-collection box to include only the tests that they might be interested in completing at that time, adding real-time videoconferencing to the beginning of the study to introduce the research team, and sending personalized reminders following the delivery of the specimen self-collection box.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results offer valuable insights into aspects that facilitated participant engagement in self-collected specimen return, as well as areas for potential improvement to maximize return rates. Our findings can help guide the design of future large-scale studies and public health programs for home-based HIV, bacterial STI, and preexposure prophylaxis adherence testing.

INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID)

RR2-10.2196/13647.

Perceptions and Experiences of Returning Self-collected Specimens for HIV, Bacterial STI and Potential PrEP Adherence Testing among Sexual Minority Men in the United States

Few studies among gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men (GBMSM) have examined facilitators and barriers to self-collecting specimens for extragenital STI screening, and none have evaluated attitudes towards self-collecting hair samples that can be utilized for PrEP drug level testing to assess adherence. To address this gap, we interviewed 25 sexually active GBMSM who were offered a choice to self-collect and return finger-stick blood samples (for actual HIV testing), pharyngeal swabs, rectal swabs and urine specimens (for actual gonorrhea and chlamydia testing), and hair samples (to visually determine their adequacy for PrEP drug level testing): 11 who returned all, 4 who returned some, and 10 who did not return any. Participants found self-collecting finger-stick blood samples and rectal swabs more challenging than other specimens. Frequently discussed facilitators of return included an opportunity to confirm one's HIV or STI status, limited access to a healthcare provider and a desire to advance research focusing on home-based testing. Commonly cited barriers to return included low self-efficacy pertaining to self-collection and apprehension around the possibility of delay or loss of specimens during transit. Offering additional support such as real-time video conferencing may prove helpful in future field-based research with GBMSM.

Randomized Controlled Trial of Automated Directly Observed Therapy for Measurement and Support of PrEP Adherence Among Young Men Who have Sex with Men

Measurement of adherence to oral pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) in real-time has been challenging. We developed DOT Diary, a smartphone application that combines automated directly observed therapy with a PrEP adherence visualization toolkit, and tested its ability to measure PrEP adherence and to increase adherence among a diverse cohort of young men who have sex with men (MSM). We enrolled 100 MSM in San Francisco and Atlanta and randomly assigned them 2:1 to DOT Diary versus standard of care. Concordance between DOT Diary measurement and drug levels in dried blood spots was substantial, with 91.0% and 85.3% concordance between DOT Diary and emtricitabine-triphosphate and tenofovir-diphosphate, respectively. There was no significant difference in the proportion of participants with detectable PrEP drug levels at 24 weeks between study arms. These results suggest DOT Diary is substantially better than self-reported measures of adherence, but additional interventions are needed to improve PrEP adherence over time.

The ATEAM study: Advances in technology to enhance PrEP adherence monitoring (ATEAM) among young men who have sex with men

Young age has consistently correlated with lower adherence to pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) in young men who have sex with men (YMSM). Digital medicine, a dynamic healthcare platform of wearable physiological sensors and mobile communication technology that can respond to medication nonadherence rapidly, has the potential in promoting PrEP adherence. We evaluated the feasibility and acceptability of Proteus Discover, a digital monitoring adherence system, to measure PrEP adherence and provide real-time feedback among cisgender YMSM and transgender women. One hundred HIV-negative young men and transgender women ages 16-24 years were enrolled in a 24-week randomized controlled crossover study to tenofovir disoproxil fumarate with emtricitabine (TDF/FTC) coencapsulated with Proteus Discover versus TDF/FTC standard-of-care. Participants in the 12-week Proteus Discover arm received weekly SMS text messages to promote pill taking based on Proteus Discover adherence data. Dried blood spots (DBS) were collected at 4-week intervals for tenofovir diphosphate (TFV-DP) in red blood cells as the referent and questionnaires were completed to assess acceptability, usability, and patterns of use. Linear mixed models analyzed the relationship between 30-day adherence measured by DBS and Proteus Discover. PrEP adherence was high overall. Adherence, as measured by DBS, was correlated with adherence as measured by Proteus Discover (p value = 0.03). Most participants reported that Proteus Discover helped them take their PrEP daily and that the system was easy to use. However, a majority (53.5%-60.5%) disagreed with the statement that wearing the patch was not an issue. There was an incremental increase in TFV-DP in DBS with adherence by Proteus Discover. More research is warranted to explore optimizing PrEP adherence for youth through real-time monitoring.

MPrEP+ study protocol: a prospective cohort study assessing the feasibility and acceptability of an HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) strategy for male clients of female sex workers in Kisumu, Kenya

INTRODUCTION

Male clients (MCs) are integral to sex work-driven HIV transmission dynamics as sexual partners of female sex worker (FSW). MCs contribute disproportionately to incident HIV globally and in sub-Saharan Africa, with 27% of new infections attributed to MCs of FSW and other partners of key populations. Gaps in coverage of HIV testing and prevention services for men, including MCs, are well-documented, yet research and innovative interventions to improve MC uptake of effective prevention services, including pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), are scarce.

METHODS AND ANALYSIS

MPrEP+ is a cohort study designed to assess the feasibility and acceptability of a PrEP-focused HIV prevention strategy providing daily oral tenofovir/emtricitabine (TDF/FTC) in combination with three adherence self-management interventions: (1) use of a validated point-of-care urine drug-level assay with real-time feedback and tailored self-management counselling; (2) frequent HIV self-testing; and (3) weekly one-way text messaging. This package of interventions is being delivered to 120 MCs enrolled in the study in Kisumu, Kenya over a 6-month period. The primary outcome is PrEP adherence at 6 months as measured by PrEP drug levels. Bivariate and multivariable regression models will be used to identify predictors of PrEP adherence. We will also explore associations of sociodemographic characteristics and PrEP beliefs with PrEP adherence.

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION

The study was approved by the Columbia University Irving Medical Center Institutional Review Board and the Maseno University Ethical Review Committee. Study enrolment was initiated in November 2021 with participant follow-up planned through August 2022. Study results will be submitted for publication in peer-reviewed journals. Summaries and infographics of study findings will be developed and distributed to MC, FSW and stakeholders working in HIV prevention and support for people who sell and buy sex, including Kenya's Ministry of Health.

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER

NCT04898699; Registered on 24 May 2021.

Women's experience receiving drug feedback and adherence counseling in MTN-025/HOPE - an HIV Prevention open-label trial of the Dapivirine Vaginal Ring

In the Phase IIIB MTN-025/HOPE open label extension trial, participants were offered the dapivirine vaginal ring as HIV prophylaxis, and those who accepted the ring received semi real-time individual adherence feedback, based on residual drug level (RDL) from returned rings, during Motivational Interviewing-based counseling. Counseling messages, based on the best knowledge at the time, framed RDL results in terms of ring use and HIV protection, from no use /no protection (0 RDL) to high use /high protection (3 RDL). At six HOPE sites, in-depth-Interviews (IDIs) about RDL were conducted with 64 participants who had received at least one RDL result. We found mixed interpretations of what the RDL meant and strong emotional reactions with a focus on the external validation of the level itself. Counseling was critical to help participants process their reactions to the RDL and make decisions accordingly (i.e., persistence, adherence improvement, and/or switching to another HIV prevention method). Providing drug adherence feedback was complex to implement yet proved useful as a component of a multi-pronged adherence support strategy.

Recognizing and disrupting stigma in implementation of HIV prevention and care: a call to research and action

INTRODUCTION

There is robust evidence that stigma negatively impacts both people living with HIV and those who might benefit from HIV prevention interventions. Within healthcare settings, research on HIV stigma has focused on intra-personal processes (i.e. knowledge or internalization of community-level stigma that might limit clients' engagement in care) or inter-personal processes (i.e. stigmatized interactions with service providers). Intersectional approaches to stigma call us to examine the ways that intersecting systems of power and oppression produce stigma not only at the individual and interpersonal levels, but also within healthcare service delivery systems. This commentary argues for the importance of analysing and disrupting the way in which stigma may be (intentionally or unintentionally) enacted and sustained within HIV service implementation, that is the policies, protocols and strategies used to deliver HIV prevention and care. We contend that as HIV researchers and practitioners, we have failed to fully specify or examine the mechanisms through which HIV service implementation itself may reinforce stigma and perpetuate inequity.

DISCUSSION

We apply Link and Phelan's five stigma components (labelling, stereotyping, separation, status loss and discrimination) as a framework for analysing the way in which stigma manifests in existing service implementation and for evaluating new HIV implementation strategies. We present three examples of common HIV service implementation strategies and consider their potential to activate stigma components, with particular attention to how our understanding of these dynamics can be enhanced and expanded by the application of intersectional perspectives. We then provide a set of sample questions that can be used to develop and test novel implementation strategies designed to mitigate against HIV-specific and intersectional stigma.

CONCLUSIONS

This commentary is a theory-informed call to action for the assessment of existing HIV service implementation, for the development of new stigma-reducing implementation strategies and for the explicit inclusion of stigma reduction as a core outcome in implementation research and evaluation. We argue that these strategies have the potential to make critical contributions to our ability to address many system-level form stigmas that undermine health and wellbeing for people living with HIV and those in need of HIV prevention services.

Study Evaluating Self-Collected Specimen Return for HIV, Bacterial STI, and Potential Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis Adherence Testing Among Sexual Minority Men in the United States

Web-based HIV and sexually transmitted infection (STI) prevention studies are increasingly requesting gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (GBMSM) to return self-collected specimens for laboratory processing. Some studies have solicited self-collected extragenital swabs for gonorrhea and chlamydia testing, but to date, none have solicited self-collected hair samples for pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) adherence testing. Project Caboodle! offered 100 racially/ethnically diverse GBMSM aged 18 to 34 years residing across the United States a choice to self-collect at home and return by mail any of the following: a finger-stick blood sample (for HIV testing), a pharyngeal swab, a rectal swab and a urine specimen (for gonorrhea and chlamydia testing), and a hair sample (to visually assess its adequacy for PrEP drug level testing). Despite not incentivizing specimen return, 51% mailed back at least one type of specimen within 6 weeks (1% returned three specimens, 11% returned four specimens and 39% returned all five specimens). The majority of returned specimens were adequate for laboratory processing. Significantly more participants without a college education (p = .0003) and those who were working full-time or part-time (p = .0070) did not return any specimens. In addition, lower levels of HIV-related knowledge (p = .0390), STI-related knowledge (p = .0162), concern about contracting HIV (p = .0484), and concern about contracting STIs (p = .0108) were observed among participants who did not return any specimens. Self-collection of specimens holds promise as a remote monitoring strategy that could supplement testing in clinical settings, but a better understanding of why some GBMSM may choose to fully, partially, or not engage in this approach is warranted.

Brief Report: Transgender Women and Preexposure Prophylaxis Care: High Preexposure Prophylaxis Adherence in a Real-World Health Care Setting in New York City

BACKGROUND

Transgender women and trans feminine individuals (TGW/TFI) are a high priority population for the provision of HIV preexposure prophylaxis (PrEP) care within the United States, but there is limited research that focuses specifically on PrEP adherence within this population.

SETTING

Observational study of patients prescribed PrEP at a community-based health center.

METHODS

We enrolled 100 TGW/TFI PrEP patients at a community health center during clinic visits. Adherence data were collected at 3 time points, using self-report surveys, patient interviews, and urine assays measuring tenofovir. Data were summarized descriptively.

RESULTS

The sample was diverse in age, race/ethnicity, and socioeconomic characteristics. Participants demonstrated strong PrEP adherence; at least 80% of the sample reported 90% or greater adherence at each time point. Concordance between self-report and urine assay was high. Among patients who reported taking PrEP within the past 48 hours, 82%-92% had detectable urine tenofovir. However, many patients reported PrEP stop periods of 4 or more days (28%-39% per time point).

CONCLUSIONS

Our data highlight TGW/TFI's capacity to adhere to daily PrEP and sustain PrEP use over time. The concordance between patient self-report and urine TFV levels suggest that providers can trust patient reports of PrEP adherence behavior and support the use of adherence conversations in clinical settings, without the need for point of care biological monitoring. Findings also underscore the importance of continued attention to drivers of PrEP stops at the patient, clinic, and systems levels and the development of strategies that support sustained PrEP use.

Brief Report: Transgender Women and Preexposure Prophylaxis Care: High Preexposure Prophylaxis Adherence in a Real-World Health Care Setting in New York City

BACKGROUND

Transgender women and trans feminine individuals (TGW/TFI) are a high priority population for the provision of HIV preexposure prophylaxis (PrEP) care within the United States, but there is limited research that focuses specifically on PrEP adherence within this population.

SETTING

Observational study of patients prescribed PrEP at a community-based health center.

METHODS

We enrolled 100 TGW/TFI PrEP patients at a community health center during clinic visits. Adherence data were collected at 3 time points, using self-report surveys, patient interviews, and urine assays measuring tenofovir. Data were summarized descriptively.

RESULTS

The sample was diverse in age, race/ethnicity, and socioeconomic characteristics. Participants demonstrated strong PrEP adherence; at least 80% of the sample reported 90% or greater adherence at each time point. Concordance between self-report and urine assay was high. Among patients who reported taking PrEP within the past 48 hours, 82%-92% had detectable urine tenofovir. However, many patients reported PrEP stop periods of 4 or more days (28%-39% per time point).

CONCLUSIONS

Our data highlight TGW/TFI's capacity to adhere to daily PrEP and sustain PrEP use over time. The concordance between patient self-report and urine TFV levels suggest that providers can trust patient reports of PrEP adherence behavior and support the use of adherence conversations in clinical settings, without the need for point of care biological monitoring. Findings also underscore the importance of continued attention to drivers of PrEP stops at the patient, clinic, and systems levels and the development of strategies that support sustained PrEP use.

High Levels of Prevention-Effective Adherence to HIV PrEP: An Analysis of Substudy Data From the EPIC-NSW Trial

BACKGROUND

Preexposure prophylaxis (PrEP) prevents HIV infection but relies on good adherence at times of risk, termed "prevention-effective adherence." Most studies assess adherence without reference to sexual behaviur, making it challenging to determine if poor adherence coincides with HIV risk.

SETTING

We examined data from a behavioral substudy of a large-scale PrEP implementation trial in New South Wales, Australia.

METHODS

Trial participants completed optional brief quarterly surveys, reporting the number of pills taken and sexual behavior with male partners for each day of the "last full week" before each survey. Condomless sex (CLS) was defined as "higher risk" for HIV when with HIV-positive men with detectable/unknown viral loads or unknown HIV status men. Adequate PrEP protection was defined as ≥4 pills for participants assigned male sex at birth and ≥6 pills for participants assigned female sex at birth (including transgender men).

RESULTS

Of 9596 participants dispensed PrEP, 4401 completed baseline and ≥1 follow-up survey. Participants reported on 12,399 "last full weeks": 7485 weeks (60.4%) involved CLS and 2521 weeks (33.7% of CLS-weeks) involved higher risk CLS. There were 103 weeks in which participants did not have adequate PrEP protection and had higher risk CLS: 4.1% of higher-risk CLS weeks (n = 103/2521), 1.4% of all CLS weeks (n = 103/7485), and 0.8% of all observed weeks (n = 103/12,399).

CONCLUSIONS

In a large PrEP trial, prevention-effective adherence to PrEP was very high at 99%. Our findings illustrate the importance of measuring pill-taking and sexual behavior in the same period so that prevention-effective adherence can be better estimated.