Exploring barriers and facilitators to PrEP use among transgender women in two urban areas: implications for messaging and communication

BACKGROUND: Trans women are at increased risk for HIV infection yet are less likely to use pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) medication as a preventive measure. PrEP messaging and marketing has focused on men who have sex with men (MSM) or included trans women as a subset of MSM, ignoring the potential barriers to PrEP use unique to trans women. Little is known about how this group conceptualizes PrEP, what knowledge gaps still exist, and how trans women believe PrEP should be communicated to increase use. METHODS: This qualitative study conducted focus groups (n = 5) in Philadelphia and Sacramento with trans women to assess these issues. RESULTS: Twelve sub-themes were found related to five main domains, including PrEP knowledge, benefits, barriers, community-related considerations, and messaging/marketing. Findings indicate that knowledge of PrEP is still low and beliefs about PrEP’s effects on hormone use persist. Most importantly, participants voiced a demand for culturally appropriate trans-specific messages in HIV prevention interventions and communication. CONCLUSIONS: Without acknowledging specific barriers to PrEP uptake among transgender women separate from those of MSM and incorporating gender affirmation into PrEP education, simply knowing PrEP is available may not motivate trans women to use PrEP. This has important implications for future efforts to communicate about PrEP with trans women. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12889-021-12425-w.