A new study co-led by St. Michael’s Hospital researchers shows an urgent need for stronger public health efforts to boost awareness and uptake of HIV prevention medication in Black and Indigenous communities in Canada.
Using data from nearly 4,300 men in the national “I’m Ready” HIV self-testing program, researchers found Black men were 66% less likely and Indigenous men 43% less likely than white men to know about PrEP. Black men in rural areas were also far less likely to use it.
“Our analysis is the first national study to identify and describe the racial differences in PrEP awareness and uptake,” said Dr. Wale Ajiboye, an adjunct scientist with REACH Nexus at St. Michael’s Hospital (Unity Health Toronto). Dr. Ajiboye is also the recipient of a Research Excellence, Diversity, and Independence (REDI) Early Career Transition Award from the Canadian Institutes Of Health Research.
“We show that Black and Indigenous men are less likely to be aware of or receive PrEP than their white counterparts. This highlights the continuing inequalities in HIV medication awareness and use in communities most impacted by the HIV epidemic in Canada.”
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