Abstract:

Despite evidence of high interest and willingness to use PrEP by key populations behaviorally vulnerable to HIV infection, a lack of comprehensive PrEP knowledge and low HIV testing currently undermine HIV prevention efforts in Cote d’Ivoire. Given that HIV testing is the initial phase in the HIV prevention care continuum, this study examined the prevalence and association between HIV PrEP knowledge and HIV testing among sexually experienced men aged 15-59 years using the dataset from the 2021 Cote d’Ivoire Demographic and Health Survey (N=7,591). Prevalence estimates were obtained using frequencies and proportions. A multivariate logistic regression model was fitted to examine the relationship between the independent and dependent variables within the population. The findings reveal that merely 8.3% of the participants were aware of and endorsed PrEP, and 23.7% have undergone HIV testing. Yet, 83.8% of the participants reported being sexually active, with 32.8% involved in multiple sexual partnerships. Knowledge and approval of PrEP was a poor predictor of sexual activity (AOR=1.11, 95% CI=.81-1.53, p=.524), unlike HIV testing was strongly associated with higher odds of being sexually active (AOR=6.74, 95% CI=4.94-9.21, p<.001) in those who have undergone HIV testing. Knowledge of HIV test kits and anti-retroviral treatment were both strongly associated with higher odds of sexual activity and multiple sexual partnerships. To stem the tide of new HIV transmission, HIV Prevention initiatives should be prioritized among sexually active men by developing innovative approaches to scale up HIV testing and optimize comprehensive knowledge of PrEP in Cote d’Ivoire.

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