“Really just recognizing that women also have sex.”: A qualitative analysis of cisgender women’s self-reported barriers to accessing PrEP

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Authors

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Publication Details

Journal
Sexually Transmitted Diseases
Published
2026-09-17
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1097/olq.0000000000002416
Primary Topic
HIV/AIDS Research and Interventions
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.00
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article

“Really just recognizing that women also have sex.”: A qualitative analysis of cisgender women’s self-reported barriers to accessing PrEP

Arielle Desir, Devon Price, Taiylar Ball, Jonathan Purtle et al.
Sexually Transmitted Diseases
HIV/AIDS Research and Interventions
article

“Really just recognizing that women also have sex.”: A qualitative analysis of cisgender women’s self-reported barriers to accessing PrEP

Arielle Desir, Devon Price, Taiylar Ball, Jonathan Purtle, Rey Flores, Don Operario, Alison Goldberg, Jennifer Pellowski
article en

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Cisgender women (hereafter, referred to as women) account for approximately 19% of new HIV diagnoses in the US, but are underrepresented in PrEP implementation efforts in the US. METHODS: Fourteen semi-structured interviews were conducted with women (M = 32.1 years old, SD = 6.2 years) to understand their PrEP knowledge, clinical and system-level barriers, and supports needed to engage with PrEP. During data collection, the importance of sexual scripts, a social belief that women are heterosexual and 'pure', emerged as a major construct in shaping participants' health-care seeking experiences, regardless of their HIV risk perception or PrEP knowledge. A deductive-inductive thematic approach was used to further analyze this construct. RESULTS: A majority of participants identified as a person of color: seven black women (50%), three multi-racial women (21%), and one Asian woman (7%). A majority of the participants had no experience with PrEP (57%); however, most participants had at least some knowledge of PrEP (72%). Sexual scripts surrounding women's sexuality, clinician priorities, and perceptions of who PrEP is "for" were reported as prominent barriers to PrEP prescription. Participants described clinical interactions that reinforced sexist and heteronormative beliefs and impeded access to necessary sexual health care. Participants emphasized that clinicians who approach sexual health conversations with an openness and non-judgmental demeanor can facilitate access to PrEP and improve overall sexual health. CONCLUSIONS: Findings highlight the need for concerted efforts to challenge sexual scripts in clinical settings and create safe environments where women can openly discuss sexual health.

Sexually Transmitted Diseases
Hartford Hospital (US), Emory University (US), City University of New York (US), Loyola University Chicago (US), Brown University (US), Hunter College (US), Accenture (United States) (US), Center for Global Health (US), Hartford Financial Services (United States)
Gender equality
Openalex Percentile: Top 11%
HIV/AIDS Research and Interventions
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