Pre-exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) for HIV Infection and New Sexually Transmitted Infections: A Win-Win Opportunity?

Abstract

This increase occurred concurrently with the introduction of effective PrEP, the advent of electronic mechanisms for meeting sex partners and population-level changes in sexual behavior, including increased numbers of sexual partners, increased condom-less anal sex, and increased recreational drug use including chem-sex. This substantial increase in STIs particularly in the MSM population suggests the potential increase of sexual risk behavior induced by PrEP through a risk compensation [6]. Risk compensation refers to an increase in risk-related behaviors when an intervention reduces perceptions of risk among individuals or a population.