Organising services for people at highest risk of HIV: developing best practice in delivering HIV Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) through evaluation of early implementation across Scotland.

Despite major advances in testing and treatment, HIV still has a major impact on individual health and the economy. In July 2017 Scotland was the first country in the UK and one of the few worldwide, to introduce a revolutionary new HIV prevention service known as PrEP (Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis). PrEP involves people at risk of HIV taking anti-HIV drugs to stop them getting HIV. PrEP works well in research trials but we don’t know what happens in the real world when PrEP is given as part of routine NHS care. Clinics offering PrEP already seem much busier and it is possible that there will be more sexually transmitted infections. This is likely to put pressure on already stretched services. This research examines how PrEP has been delivered across Scotland during the first few months of roll out. We will talk to a range of health professionals and people who use HIV prevention services to see what works, what doesn’t work and why. We will combine our findings to make recommendations on the best ways to deliver PrEP for the greatest public good.