Awareness and willingness to use pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) among sexually active adults in Ghana

Introduction: Advancement in biomedical science has led to the discovery of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) as new strategies for prevention of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). This current study was a quantitative analysis that sought to evaluate the awareness and willingness to use PrEP and PEP by sexually active adults in Ghana. Material and methods: The study respondents consisted of 365 sexually active adults in Ghana. A questionnaire was designed and administered to participants online using respondent-driven sampling (RDS) approach. A c² test and logistic regression were employed for the analysis. Results: The study revealed a generally low awareness of PrEP and PEP. Only 25.2% of the respondents were aware of PrEP, while 20.3% were aware of PEP. Despite the low awareness rate, majority of respondents (69.3%) were willing to use PrEP and PEP for prevention of HIV. On the other hand, 30.7% of the respondents indicated their unwillingness to use PrEP and PEP citing the fear of undesirable side effects of the medications as the main reason for their decision. Conclusions: This paper calls on policy-makers to intensify advocacy for the usefulness of PrEP and PEP. The Ghana Health Service and Ghana AIDS Commission should also ensure that PrEP and PEP services are increased and include all sexually active persons in Ghana. This will ensure a great success in mitigating HIV infections in Ghana.