Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is a well-established method for HIV prevention. Current guidelines suggest frequent screening for HIV & sexually transmitted infections (STI) of risk-populations – in high-income countries primarily men who have sex with men (MSM) – and subsequent PrEP-initiation. Since little is known about Austrian PrEP-users, we initiated an observational cohort study to investigate behavioral characteristics and HIV/STI-prevalence in this population. All HIV-negative individuals at the Department of Dermatology at the General Hospital of Vienna starting or using PrEP between 07/2020-12/2021 were considered for inclusion. Details on sexual behavior were addressed by a questionnaire. Overall, 131 were prospectively enrolled and could choose daily- (73%, 96/131) or on-demand (27%, 35/131) PrEP-services. 99% (130/131) were MSM (median age 33.8 years) and 60% (79/131) reported previous STIs. The median number of sex partners was 10 (range 1-200), engagement in active/passive condomless anal intercourse 70% (84/120) and ‘chemsex’ 67% (85/126) within the past twelve months. No patient tested positive for HIV or viral hepatitis. Syphilis affected 8% (10/131) while mucosal (pharyngeal, anal, urethral) sampling revealed a pooled prevalence of 16% (21/131), 10% (13/131) and 17% (22/128) for gonorrhea, chlamydia and mycoplasma genitalium, respectively. Forty percent (52/131) of patients had at least one STI, however, only 10% (5/52) were symptomatic. Multivariate analysis identified preference for daily PrEP-use (adjusted-OR 3.26 95%-CI (1.28-8.26)) as independent predictor for the presence of an STI. Austrian PrEP-users engage in high-risk sex practices for HIV-transmission and are frequently affected by asymptomatic STIs. Improved implementation of public PrEP-services is necessary for reducing the burden of STIs and HIV in Austria.

ESDR136 - Asymptomatic Sexually Transmitted Infections Are Commonly Detected in Austrian PrEP-Users

The scientific meeting of the European Society for Dermatological Research (ESDR) is held yearly, usually in September. With an international attendance of more than 1000 skin scientists from around the globe, the four-day event includes short oral presentations from peer-reviewed abstracts, keynote lectures from international experts, sponsored symposia, satellite programs, educational events as well as an important focus on posters, networking and building collaborations amongst scientists. For more information about this year’s meeting visit our website.