Demographic Characteristics of Hiv Prep Users at a Testing and Counseling Service in the City of Porto Alegre – A Comparison Over the Years (2018–2023)

HIV PrEP has been available in the Brazilian public health system (SUS) since 2018 and, together with other preventive approaches, has been crucial in reducing HIV infection among men who have sex with men (MSM) and transgender women. The objective of this study was to compare demographic variables among users who initiated PrEP between January 2018 and December 2023 and to determine whether these variables changed over time. A descriptive cross-sectional study based on chart review of individuals who sought testing and initiated PrEP. Data were entered into a digital form, exported to Excel, and then analyzed in SPSS v.20.0. Categorical variables were described by frequencies and percentages. Associations between categorical variables were tested using Chi-square or Chi-square with Yates correction in 2x2 tables. A significance level of 5% was adopted. Based on user records, 217 participants were registered in 2018, 208 in 2019, 62 in 2020, 142 in 2021, 332 in 2022, and 524 in 2023. From 2018 to 2021, all MSM and transgender individuals were included (132, 164, 44, and 97, respectively). From 2022 to 2023, based on a calculated sample, approximately 101 MSM, transgender, or travesti users were selected in 2022 and 103 in 2023, totaling 641 users. Comparing gender identity (MSM vs. transgender women) across years, 100% were MSM in the first two years, 95.5% in 2020, 92.8% in 2021, 93.1% in 2022, and 96.1% in 2023, which was statistically significant (p = 0.007). Regarding race, White and mixed/Black individuals represented 73% and 26% in 2018; 75% and 23% in 2019; 79% and 20% in 2020; 74% and 23% in 2021; 82% and 15% in 2022; and 77% and 21% in 2023, respectively (p = 0.359). No significant differences were observed in age – the majority between 25–36 years – nor in education level, with 80% having ≥ 12 years of schooling. Between 2018 and 2023, demographic characteristics of PrEP users showed no major changes regarding race, age, or education level. Although MSM remained the majority, there was a notable increase in PrEP uptake among transgender women.