Young people presenting for sexual health services in a Boston metropolitan area were more likely to be unaware of PrEP, and among those with indications, younger females were less likely to be prescribed PrEP.
The study population at a Boston metropolitan sexual health clinic was predominantly male and White, with a notable proportion uninsured.
Younger patients were significantly more likely to be uninsured compared to older age groups.
Younger patients were significantly more likely to have no prior knowledge of PrEP compared to older patients.
Among visits where a PrEP indication was identified, males were more likely than females to be prescribed PrEP.
Women aged 26 years or younger were significantly less likely to be prescribed PrEP compared to women older than 26 years.
This research suggests that young people and women face notable gaps in access to and awareness of PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis), a medication that can prevent HIV infection, when visiting a sexual health clinic in the Boston metropolitan area. The study looked at nearly 8,000 clinic visits over about two and a half years and found that the youngest patients were the most likely to be uninsured and to have never heard of PrEP before their visit. This points to potential barriers that may prevent younger individuals from effectively accessing HIV prevention tools. The study also found important gender differences in who actually received a PrEP prescription, even when a prescription was medically warranted. Among patients who met clinical guidelines for PrEP, men received a prescription at 84% of qualifying visits, compared to only 61% for women. Most strikingly, younger women (age 26 and under) were 46% less likely to be prescribed PrEP than older women, even when they had the same clinical indication for it. This research suggests that sexual health clinics may need to take targeted steps to reach younger patients and women with PrEP education and prescriptions, as these groups appear to be underserved despite having documented need. The findings highlight that simply having a clinic available does not mean all patient groups benefit equally from HIV prevention services.
Neilan A, Qian Y, Chamberlin G, Hadland S, Narasimhadevara M, Madhavan V, et al.. (2026). Differences in Sexual Health Clinic Services by Age and Gender in Metropolitan Boston.. Sexually transmitted diseases. https://doi.org/10.1097/OLQ.0000000000002275