Abstract Background Portugal has been committed to achieve UNAIDS target goals by the end of 2030 by improving accessibility of prevention programs to the general population and key populations. However, Portugal remains as one of the countries in the European Union with the highest annual number of reported HIV cases and the highest proportion of AIDS diagnosis. The main aim of this scoping review is to understand how knowledge and usage of primary and secondary prevention strategies are being assessed in Portugal across key populations, such as sex workers, men who have sex with men, people who inject drugs, migrants and transgender. Methods We performed searches on PubMed, Web of Science Core Collection and Scopus for peer-reviewed journal articles published in English or in Portuguese, between 2008 and 2025, that reported knowledge and/or use assessment of at least one prevention outcome (condom, HIV testing, PrEP, PEP) in at least one of the key population groups under study. Results From the 655 studies identified in our initial search, 54 met the eligibility criteria for inclusion. Most studies focused on condoms and testing. While we did not find studies focused on condom knowledge assessment, condom usage was characterized using a broad set of indicators defined according to the type of partnership, gender, type of sexual intercourse, sexual role preference, time window, and frequency across key populations. Knowledge about HIV testing was defined across studies as knowing where to get tested and/or that HIV testing is confidential and free, while usage was defined for multiple frequencies and recall periods. PrEP and PEP knowledge and usage were often assessed coupled with condom usage in the last 6 months. Discussion The assessment of primary and secondary prevention strategies was highly heterogeneous. Multiple instrument assessment methods were defined for different recall periods, which makes it challenging to compare assessment methods across studies, both within and across key populations, and to develop mathematical modelling studies that can inform public health policies. Conclusion This review highlights the need to promote the homogeneity and harmonization of studies within and between key populations, which is crucial to develop successful HIV prevention programs in Portugal.
Brazia et al. (Thu,) studied this question.