Social Network Representation and Dissemination of Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP): A Semantic Network Analysis of HIV Prevention Drug on Twitter

Daily oral pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is a new approach to HIV prevention. The study aims to examine how PrEP has been represented and disseminated on one of the most popular social networking sites - Twitter. We collected 1435 public tweets containing the word “Truvada.” After computer-mediated and manual de-duplication, we analyzed 447 unique tweets and calculated weights between two words to measure their co-occurrence in 7-word windows. Semantic networks of PrEP-related tweets were constructed. We found that Twitter was used to generate public discussions and collectively interpret new medical information, especially in frequently propagated tweets and from users with more followers. In the meantime, the results revealed the presence of illicit online pharmacies that marketed and sold PrEP without the need for a prescription. We discussed implications for public health and made urgent call for better regulation of online pharmacies.