I Don’t Really Know Much About PrEP: Examining Black HBCU Women’s Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis Knowledge and Awareness

Despite HIV/AIDS disproportionately impacting Black women in the United States, HIV knowledge, awareness, and uptake of prevention efforts like pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) have been limited for this community. Since campus leaders can maintain the attention of Black college women for a sustained period, they are an ideal demographic for PrEP interventions. Accordingly, the purpose of this study was to assess the awareness and knowledge of PrEP among Black Historically Black Colleges and University (HBCU) women, informing future possibilities and strategies for PrEP interventions and uptake. The lead author employed a descriptive, qualitative approach to collect data from five focus groups of Black HBCU women. Within this, the authors examined Black HBCU women's PrEP knowledge and awareness in their own words and on their own terms. The results revealed that Black HBCU women have notable gaps in knowledge and limited awareness about PrEP and sexual health, with some assuming PrEP is only for men who have sex with men (MSM). Others believed it was used to manage an existing HIV diagnosis. Given that these participants perceived PrEP as primarily for MSMs, there is a clear gap in public health practice. Therefore, it is essential to focus future HIV prevention efforts on college-aged Black women by exploring their perspectives and considering how institutions like student activities, Greek Life, and campus health services can contribute to PrEP education for HIV prevention.