LA ADOPCIÓN DE PREP COMO ESTRATEGIA DE PREVENCIÓN DEL VIH EN COLOMBIA: ANÁLISIS SECUNDARIO DE DATOS CUALITATIVOS

Globally, HIV is one of the major public health challenges of our time. In Latin America, the prevalence of HIV for men who have sex with men (MSM) and transgender women (TGW) is 30 times higher than for the general population. Colombia has the second highest rate of people with HIV in the region. PrEP therapy has been successfully implemented in other Latin American contexts. However, for an intervention such as PrEP to be effective and feasible in the Colombian context, it is necessary to explore how the social determinants of health (SDH) could potentially affect its implementation and uptake. To our knowledge, no other study in the country has explored this issue. Through a secondary analysis of qualitative data, we fill this gap of knowledge and generate evidence about the health inequities that could potentially limit the adoption of PrEP to prevent HIV in MSM and MTG populations. Objectives: To explore how the SDH affect the intention of health providers to implement PrEP as an HIV prevention strategy in Colombia. Methods: The study analyzed secondary data from interviews conducted with health providers in Colombia. A critical hermeneutic approach was used, and an SDH conceptual framework was followed for the thematic analysis. Results: The findings showed that stigma, cultural behaviours, armed conflict, lack of access to health services, and health literacy affect the adoption of PrEP in the country. Conclusions: For the successful implementation of PrEP in the country, it is necessary to consider the Colombian social and political context, especially in areas affected by violence and concentrated historical inequities.