Over the past decade, pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) has transformed HIV prevention worldwide. While daily oral PrEP has been available in France since 2016, new long-acting options, including injectable cabotegravir and and twice-yearly lenacapavir, offer powerful alternatives for people who struggle to take a daily pill. These innovations are especially important for people living with mental illness and substance use disorders, who face disproportionately high rates of HIV due to social and structural inequities, stigma, and barriers to consistent healthcare access.
Psychiatrists and addiction medicine specialists are often the primary, and sometimes only, healthcare providers for these individuals. Yet most psychiatrists receive little formal training in HIV prevention or PrEP prescribing. Our U.S.-based team has successfully developed and delivered practical, case-based PrEP training programs that have reached more than 200 psychiatrists and trainees. This project will adapt and expand these evidence-based trainings for psychiatrists in Paris and the Île-de-France region, where HIV rates are highest.
Through interactive workshops, locally tailored educational materials, and access to a remote clinical decision support system staffed by infectious disease specialists, we aim to empower French psychiatrists to confidently prescribe and manage both oral and long-acting PrEP. By integrating HIV prevention into mental healthcare, this initiative will expand access to lifesaving prevention tools and help reduce HIV disparities in France.