Examining PrEP awareness and Barriers to Uptake Amongst Young Adults

HIV is still a persistent public health challenge in the United States, within the Southern States the CDC in 2023 reported alarming numbers making up 51% of all new HIV diagnoses even though it represents only about 38% of U.S. population. Despite the effectiveness of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and federal mandates ensuring zero-cost coverage, PrEP usage remains low among young adults (18-24). In Georgia continues to rank among the states that rank highest for new HIV cases. In Georgia, which ranks among the highest for new cases, Public Health District 2 (Hall County and surrounding areas) experiences significant transmission rate of 7.5 per 100,000.

Recent research depicts how social barriers such as stigma, limited healthcare access, and socioeconomic disparities contribute to low PrEP use. While national trends are documented from Public Health Department, a critical data void exists regarding how young adults in North Georgia navigate HIV risk, stigma, and prevention. Even though the Affordable Care Act’s mandate requiring PrEP to be zero cost, its use is still low suggesting that federal coverage alone cannot overcome community misconceptions on eligibility.

This project argues that we need to understand our community attitudes and barriers is what is important for us to improve prevention within our District. To address this gap, we are conducting a targeted survey in University of North Georgia of young adults to analyze their PrEP awareness, stigma, and social barriers. By focusing on local-specific perspectives, this research plans to devise a culturally appropriate public health strategy.