Media Sources Feature Goodreau’s Research on Decreasing Condom Use and Public Health Messaging on PrEP
Posted: 2/1/2024 (CSDE Research)
Research by CSDE Affiliate Steven Goodreau (Anthropology) led to a recent article in AIDS and Behavior, which measures changes in condomless anal sex (CAS) among HIV-negative men who have sex with men (MSM) who are not taking pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP). The study found an increase in CAS for MSM not on PrEP, suggesting potential new HIV transmission pathways. Goodreau released a commentary in AIDS, discussing the findings and raising concern that public health’s increased emphasis on PrEP may be related to decreased condom use. This concern was also featured in a New York Times article by Benjamin Ryan, where Goodreau was quoted – “The goal of promoting PrEP is a valuable one, but it has overshadowed other prevention strategies like condoms”. UW News also featured Goodreau’s work in an interview with Lauren Kirschman, where Goodreau highlighted how “In the end, it’s key to remember that things like condom use are highly subject to social norms — many people use what they see and hear from their peers and beyond as a guide for their own decisions. Even just a little bit more attention to the topic may help to get many of those conversations started again.”