Knowledge, attitudes and experience of physicians working in Chile toward the prescription of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP): A cross-national survey.

Background: Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) involves administering antiretroviral drugs to prevent human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection in at-risk subjects. Chile is considered one of the countries with the highest number of new cases per year of HIV infections.

Methods: A nationwide cross-sectional study was carried out in Chile. A questionnaire of physicians' attitudes toward the prescription of PrEP was used.

Results: 632 doctors responded correctly the survey. 58.5% ( = 370) were women, and median age was 34 years (IQR 25-43). 55.4% ( = 350) responded that they have never prescribed antiretrovirals for HIV-negative individuals to prevent HIV infection, and only 10.1% have prescribed PrEP. 60.8% ( = 384) mentioned having informed about the possibility of using antiretroviral post-exposure prophylaxis in case of risky sexual activity. 76.3% ( = 482) believed each institution should formulate internal protocols for administering these drugs, and 98.4% ( = 622) stated that with the currently available evidence, PrEP should be suggested to cope with the HIV pandemic.

Conclusion: It was concluded that knowledge, attitudes and experience toward PrEP prescribing are variable and related to patient care. However, Chile has a marked tendency in favor of this therapy, which is similar to that reported in studies worldwide.