Homosexual and bisexual males are utilizing condoms lower than ever, and the decline has been significantly sharp amongst those that are younger or Hispanic, in keeping with a brand new examine. The troubling development factors to an pressing want for higher prevention methods because the nation struggles to beat the HIV epidemic, researchers mentioned.
Within the final decade, the prevention medicine generally known as PrEP has helped gas a average decline in HIV charges. But regardless of persistent public well being campaigns selling the drug, they haven’t been adopted in substantial numbers by black and Hispanic males who’re homosexual or bisexual.
The usage of condoms, which forestall HIV and different sexually transmitted infections, has decreased lately, not solely amongst gay males, contributing to a rise in sexually transmitted infections.
Researchers mentioned that with a lot deal with PrEP, public well being officers have uncared for condoms, contributing to the decline of their use.
“The purpose of selling PrEP is efficacious, however it has eclipsed different prevention methods comparable to condoms,” mentioned Steven Goodreau, an HIV skilled on the College of Washington. He led the brand new examine and co-wrote a associated editorial.
A spokesman for the Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention acknowledged the decline in condom use, however mentioned the company continues to advertise. Native well being departments that obtain federal cash for HIV prevention should embody condom distribution of their methods, for instance.
HIV charges have fallen lately thanks partly to PrEP. However the decline in the US — 12 p.c from 2017 to 2021, in keeping with authorities estimates — has trailed many different rich Western nations and even some hard-pressed African nations.
Homosexual and bisexual males are disproportionately affected: they make up solely 2 p.c of American adults and 70 p.c of latest HIV circumstances. And an infection charges are a lot greater in black and Hispanic homosexual males than in white homosexual males.
In 2012, pre-exposure prophylaxis, or PrEP, debuted amid landmark analysis exhibiting that, when taken every day, Antiretroviral medication virtually get rid of the chance of contracting HIV
