PRe-Exposure Prophylaxis Acceptability & Readiness Assessments for Toronto gaY, Bisexual and Other Men Who Have Sex With Men-5

Canada continues to see an unrelenting stream of new HIV diagnoses, with a disproportionate burden among gay, bisexual, and other MSM in major centers such as Toronto. Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) with oral, daily tenofovir/emtricitabine (TDF/FTC, Truvada®) is a novel biomedical approach to HIV prevention shown in the iPrEx trial to be safe and efficacious in reducing HIV acquisition by 44% among MSM, when provided in a comprehensive package of HIV prevention interventions including counseling, testing/treatment of sexually transmitted infections (STIs), and condoms. There is now widespread mobilization to assess the feasibility of PrEP roll-out worldwide, with urgent calls for 'demonstration projects' addressing real-world PrEP implementation issues. PREPARATORY-5 is Canada's first PrEP demonstration project, and will examine real-world PrEP implementation issues including acceptability, effectiveness, impact on sexually transmitted infections, and strategies for supporting adherence outside the clinical trial setting. The investigators have also established a comprehensive community-based research program investigating the role of community-based organizations in PrEP implementation and delivery.