Transitioning HIV-negative men who have sex with men and transgender women diagnosed with early syphilis to HIV-pre-exposure prophylaxis

Identifying individuals with early syphilis who would benefit from HIV-pre-exposure prophylaxis (HIV-PrEP) is important to reduce HIV transmission.1 2

There were 171 individuals diagnosed with early syphilis in our clinic between July 2021 and June 2022. Of the 88 (51%) HIV-negative individuals, 33 (38%) were not using HIV-PrEP; 21 (64%) started HIV-PrEP; a further 2 (6%) started at a subsequent clinic visit; 6 (18%) declined; and 4 (12%) were lost to follow-up. Individuals already using HIV-PrEP and people living with HIV were more likely to have had previous syphilis (p<0.04) and be UK-born (p<0.03) compared with non HIV-PrEP users (table 1).

Table 1

HIV/HIV-PrEP status of MSM/transgender people with early syphilis (n=171)

Living with HIV (n=83)HIV negative (N=88)P valueNot using HIV-PrEP (N=33)Using HIV-PREP (N=55)MSM,…

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