Abstract
Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) is a biomedical intervention that can prevent the transmission of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) amongst the individuals who are at high risk of acquiring the virus. Although PrEP has proven to be effective in preventing the transmission of HIV, the utilisation of PrEP amongst the young individuals receiving services at hospitals in Lesotho is still inadequate.
The primary aim of this study is, therefore, to assess the knowledge, perceptions and utilisation of PrEP amongst the youth, accessing services at Ntšekhe Government Hospital. Given the high HIV prevalence in Lesotho, PrEP represents a crucial preventive tool, particularly for high-risk populations, like youth. Despite PrEP’s proven efficacy in reducing HIV transmission, uptake remains low, warranting an investigation into the factors influencing awareness, perceptions and actual usage of PrEP.
The objectives of the study are to determine the level of knowledge about PrEP amongst the youth accessing services at Ntšekhe Government Hospital. The study also assesses the youth perceptions regarding the use of PrEP and evaluates the use of PrEP amongst this youth.
A cross-sectional design was employed, and data were collected through structured questionnaires administered to 152 youth (aged 18–24 years), accessing healthcare services at Ntšekhe Government Hospital from June to July 2024. Descriptive statistics provided the insights into the participants’ socio-demographic characteristics, knowledge and the perceptions of PrEP. In contrast, inferential analyses, such as Chi-square tests, ANOVA and logistic regression, were used to explore the relationships between key variables, including education, gender and PrEP knowledge.
Major findings reveal that 71% of respondents were aware of PrEP, but only 12.5% had ever used it. Higher educational attainment is associated with better knowledge of PrEP (p < 0.001) even though paradoxically, those with higher education were less willing to use it. Gender differences were significant, with males being less likely to use PrEP (p < 0.001). the perceptions of PrEP effectiveness were moderately correlated with actual usage (r = 0.431, p < 0.001), and uncertainty about its efficacy emerged as a major barrier to uptake.
The study highlights the need for the targeted public health interventions to address knowledge gaps, combat misconceptions and reduce barriers to PrEP access amongst the youth. Expanding PrEP education and addressing societal and gender-related factors will be critical to improving PrEP utilisation and preventing HIV amongst the youth in Lesotho.
Keywords
Healthcare utilization, HIV prevention, Lesotho, Nts’ekhe Government Hospital, PrEP, youth