Weekly PrEP coverage declined in 2020 across all states and most counties, and geographic disparities were seen in urban counties designated as a priority in the Ending the HIV Epidemic (EHE) initiative, according to findings published in AIDS and Behavior. Dima M. Qato, PharmD, MPH, PhD, and colleagues examined trends in weekly PrEP coverage at the national, state, and county level before (December 29, 2019 to March 8, 2020) and during (March 29 to November 8, 2020) the COVID-19 pandemic. Nationally, weekly PrEP coverage among people aged 16-85 at high risk for HIV declined by 11.5% (P<0.01) and in all states and most counties, with substantial variation across all regions. Geographic disparities were reported between urban EHE priority counties, with significantly lower rates in counties with a Black/Latinx population of 50% or greater compared with their counterparts (7.9% vs 11.2%; P<0.01). Weekly PrEP coverage was much lower than the 25% annual coverage reported by the CDC. “Geographic disparities seen within states likely contribute to the persistent racial/ethnic disparities in new HIV diagnoses observed within those states,” Dr. Qato and colleagues wrote.
