Friends Keep Friends PrEPared: The Role of Social Support on PrEP Care Retention

This study is a secondary data analysis that examined how social support influences pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) care retention among young Black men who have sex with men (YBMSM), a population disproportionately affected by HIV. Analyses from 201 HIV-negative YBMSM aged 18-35 who had initiated PrEP showed that general social support was significantly associated with a higher number of provider visits but not with visit constancy. Findings for the effect of different subdomains of social support on PrEP care retention were inconsistent. Various demographic characteristics, including sexual orientation and level of education showed significant effects on visit constancy. Overall, these findings suggest that while social support positively influences engagement frequency, comprehensive approaches addressing multiple factors may be more effective for improving PrEP care retention.