Centre for Social Research in Health
Oral HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), which involves HIV-negative people taking combination antiretroviral drugs to prevent HIV infection, was subsidised by the Australian Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) in April 2018. GPs and HIV/sexual health specialists are key actors in prescribing PrEP to ensure maximal coverage of populations at risk of acquiring HIV, particularly gay and bisexual men. However, little research has been conducted in Australia to explore the various factors which shape the context and experience of prescribing PrEP.
This four-year qualitative study was undertaken as part of聽聽PhD thesis. The study aimed to understand the effects of PrEP on clinical practice in a time of rapid change. Qualitative interviews were undertaken with 28 clinicians 鈥 including sexual health nurses and doctors, and general practitioners 鈥 involved in prescribing PrEP in New South Wales and Western Australia in 2019-2020. The study has deepened our understanding of how clinicians engage with new areas of practice and negotiate new technologies, clinical guidelines, uncertainty, risk and the complex lives of patients.
Four papers were published from this research in the peer-reviewed literature, along with a聽聽which contains a summary of the key findings and study recommendations.
Research Centre
Research Area
HIV and Sexual Health | Sexuality, Health and Education
- Publications
- Partners/collaborators
Smith, A. K. J., Haire, B., Newman, C. E., Cornelisse, V., Kidd, M., Lobo, R., Smith, D., Post, J., & Holt, M. (2022).聽PrEP in Practice 鈥 Research Summary Report: A Qualitative Study Investigating the Perspectives of Clinicians who Prescribe PrEP in Australia. Sydney: 国产精品 Centre for Social Research in Health.聽
Smith, A. K. J., Haire, B., Newman, C. E., & Holt, M. (2021). Challenges of providing HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis across Australian clinics: Qualitative insights of clinicians.聽Sexual Health,听18(2), 187鈥194.聽
Smith, A. K. J., Holt, M., Haire, B., & Newman, C. E. (2021). Issues Associated With Prescribing HIV Pre-exposure Prophylaxis for HIV Anxiety: A Qualitative Analysis of Australian Providers鈥 Views.聽Journal of the Association of Nurses in AIDS Care,听32(1), 94鈥104.聽
Smith, A. K. J., Newman, C. E., Haire, B., & Holt, M. (2021). Clinician imaginaries of HIV PrEP users in and beyond the gay community in Australia.聽Culture, Health & Sexuality, 1鈥15.聽
Smith, A. K. J., Newman, C. E., Haire, B., & Holt, M. (2022). Prescribing as affective clinical practice: Transformations in sexual health consultations through HIV pre鈥恊xposure prophylaxis.聽Sociology of Health & Illness,听44(7), 1182鈥1200.聽
Bridget Haire, Kirby Institute
Advisory Panel
Christopher Camacho
Ric Chaney
Aaron Cogle
Catherine O鈥機onnor
Vincent Cornelisse
Roanna Lobo
Michael Kidd
Garry Kuchel
Jessica Michaels
Lewis Marshall
Anna McNulty
Nicolas Parkhill
Jeffrey Post
Shaun Powyer
Don Smith
