The Future of PrEP is Now is a new research project that aims to prepare Canada for the arrival of “long-acting” PrEP by better understanding community needs and preferences for accessing and taking PrEP. PrEP is currently only available as an oral pill, but new long-acting options like injectables, implants, and new types of oral pills are being developed.
The closest option on the horizon is a version of PrEP taken as an intramuscular injection every two months. This option, long-acting cabotegravir (CAB-LA), has already received regulatory approval in Canada for use as HIV treatment, and is currently under investigation in clinical trials for use as long-acting PrEP.
A key priority for The Future of PrEP is Now project is to address gaps in PrEP access and uptake for Two-Spirit, gay, bisexual, trans, and queer men (2SGBQM), and ensure that the needs and preferences of 2SGBQM inform the implementation of long-acting PrEP. In particular, our research seeks to prioritize community members who face barriers and challenges in accessing PrEP, including 2SGBQM who are: Indigenous and/or Two-Spirit, Black, a person of colour, transgender, non-binary, living in remote/rural areas, and/or a person who uses drugs.
The Future of PrEP is Now research team is led by Dr. Darrell Tan (St. Michael’s Hospital) and Michael Kwag (CBRC), and is funded through a Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) Community-Based Research grant. Our interdisciplinary team includes leading 2SGBQM community-based researchers and infectious disease clinicians and scientists who are committed to strengthening PrEP access and uptake across Canada.
Study Participation Opportunities
With the help of peer research associates, we will be conducting focus groups with community members and health system stakeholders to explore community preferences and anticipated barriers to long-acting-PrEP delivery. We will also be conducting a community survey to better understand these preferences. Collectively, we will use these research activities to inform the roll-out of long-acting injectable PrEP across diverse 2SGBTQ communities.
We are looking for 2SGBTQM who identify as:
- Indigenous and/or Two-Spirit
- Black
- People of colour
- Rural/remote living
- People who use substances
- Trans and non-binary
To participate in the study you must:
- Identify as a man or another gender other than a woman, inclusive of trans men, Two-Spirit, and non-binary people
- Identify as Two-Spirit, gay, bisexual, queer, same gender loving or another non-heterosexual identity
- Be HIV negative or have an unknown HIV status
- Be 15 years of age or older
- Speak English, French, or Spanish.
You will receive a $60 honoraria for participating in these focus groups. To participate in the focus group, click here.
Download the Please contact our research coordinator at [email protected] for any questions about the study, or information on how to participate in our upcoming research activities.
The Future of PrEP is Now is supported by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR)
