HIV Prevention in Primary Care Practice: A PrEP Primer

By Gregory Felzien, MD, AAHIVS and Andrea Jefferson-Saboor, FNP-C

PrEP is a broad set of clinical tools that can be used to reduce the chances of acquiring HIV. Although it is highly effective, many people who could benefit from PrEP lack access or are not familiar with it. However, primary care providers can remedy this situation and truly make a difference in the lives of their patients who may be at risk of acquiring HIV. This eHealth Source™ educational activity comprises 5 chapters, covering an overview of HIV epidemiology, practical approaches to sexual history-taking and assessing patient risk of HIV acquisition, initiation and monitoring of PrEP medication, and overcoming the bias and stigma surrounding HIV and PrEP. Throughout the program, our expert faculty will provide their unique insights surrounding sexual health, HIV prevention, and PrEP, and how these may be incorporated into primary care practice.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Integritas Communications
• Release date: Oct 22, 2020
• ISBN: 9780998419442

Book preview

Faculty

Dr. Gregory Felzien is the medical advisor within the Georgia Department of Public Health’s Division of Health Protection/IDI-HIV in Atlanta, Georgia. He received his medical degree from the University of Colorado School of Medicine in Aurora, Colorado, then completed an internship/residency at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee, and a fellowship in infectious diseases at the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston, South Carolina. Dr. Felzien holds board certification in internal medicine and infectious diseases and is certified as an American Academy of HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) Specialist (AAHIVS).

Ms. Andrea Jefferson-Saboor is a family nurse practitioner specializing in HIV/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) care, currently with Faebris Medical and Community Education in Atlanta, Georgia, where she is responsible for managing the care of individuals presenting for preexposure prophylaxis (PrEP), sexually transmitted infection (STI) screening and treatment, and HIV primary care. She completed her undergraduate studies at Florida A&M University in Tallahassee, Florida. She earned her Adult Nurse Practitioner Certificate at Florida International University in Miami, Florida, and her Master of Science in Nursing/Family Nurse Practitioner at Kennesaw State University in Kennesaw, Georgia. Ms. Jefferson-Saboor is board certified with the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC).

Preamble

Program Overview

PrEP is a broad set of clinical tools that can be used to reduce the chances of acquiring HIV. Although it is highly effective, many people who could benefit from PrEP lack access or are not familiar with it. However, primary care providers can remedy this situation and truly make a difference in the lives of their patients who may be at risk of acquiring HIV. This eHealth Source™ educational activity comprises 5 chapters, covering an overview of HIV epidemiology, practical approaches to sexual history-taking and assessing patient risk of HIV acquisition, initiation and monitoring of PrEP medication, and overcoming the bias and stigma surrounding HIV and PrEP. Throughout the program, our expert faculty will provide their unique insights surrounding sexual health, HIV prevention, and PrEP, and how these may be incorporated into primary care practice.

References

Hess KL, Hu X, Lansky A, Mermin J, Hall HI. Lifetime risk of a diagnosis of HIV infection in the United States. Ann Epidemiol. 2017;27(4):238-243.

Siegler AJ, Mouhanna F, Giler RM, et al. The prevalence of pre-exposure prophylaxis use and the pre-exposure prophylaxis-to-need ratio in the fourth quarter of 2017, United States. Ann Epidemiol. 2018;28(12):841-849.

Stewart J, Stekler JD. How to incorporate HIV PrEP into your practice. J Fam Pract. 2019;68(5):254-261.

Target Audience

This activity is intended for primary care physicians, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, and other clinicians involved in the care of patients at risk of HIV.

Educational Objectives

After completing this activity, the participant should be better able to:

Determine patient risk of HIV infection and eligibility for PrEP by initiating a patient-provider dialogue regarding sexual health and behavior

Utilize evidence-based HIV-prevention guidelines and safety and efficacy data to initiate and monitor PrEP therapy in eligible patients

Discuss strategies to reduce stigma related to sexual health, PrEP use, and HIV

Joint Accreditation Statement

In support of improving patient care, this activity has been planned and implemented by the Postgraduate Institute for Medicine