Diversity in Digital Pill Systems: Differences in Perceptions and Attitudes Towards Use of a Digital Pill System for HIV Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis Among Men Who Have Sex with Men with Diverse Racial and Ethnic Identities.

Abstract

Nonadherence, particularly among men who have sex with men (MSM) with substance use disorders, increases the risk of HIV acquisition. Measuring adherence to HIV pre-exposure chemoprophylaxis (PrEP), and responding to suboptimal adherence or changes in adherence behavior remains a challenging public health problem. Despite the importance of accurate adherence measurement, there is no gold standard for detecting medication ingestion events in HIV research. Current adherence measures indirectly infer ingestion events or measure medication concentrations over time, yet such approaches fail to provide direct confirmation of ingestions and contextual information surrounding adherence and nonadherence. A digital pill system (DPS) - a novel tool that leverages ingestible radiofrequency sensors to measure actual ingestion events - may advance adherence measurement in HIV research. We examined and compared the willingness of MSM across racial and ethnic identities to operate a DPS in the context of PrEP adherence measurement and suggest potential future applications of this technology.