A study led by researchers at Emory University’s Rollins School of Public Health, published in JAMA Network Open, has found a significant increase in the use of telemedicine for obtaining pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), a medication used to prevent HIV. The research estimates that nearly 20% of PrEP users in the United States—over 110,000 out of approximately 580,000 users nationwide in 2024—received their medication through telemedicine services.
This marks a notable rise from less than 1% of PrEP users receiving prescriptions via telemedicine in 2019 and is double the rate reported in 2022. The authors note that this figure may underestimate the true impact since it only includes data from one national telehealth provider.
The total number of people using PrEP also grew from about 264,000 in 2019 to more than 591,000 in 2024. Despite this growth, access remains limited compared to an estimated 2.2 million individuals who could benefit from PrEP according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Additional findings show that most telePrEP users (77%) had not previously used PrEP. More than one-third (58,761) were uninsured, and over 80% chose at-home testing for HIV and other sexually transmitted infections.
“This study indicates that there is a real demand for delivery of services outside of clinics and that the telePrEP model is a promising avenue. As the health care system is undergoing changes, we should keep building on the telePrEP model and continue to innovate in the ways we deliver effective and efficient interventions like PrEP,” said Aaron Siegler, PhD, associate professor at Emory’s Rollins School.
The research team collaborated with partners including the National Alliance of State and Territorial AIDS Directors, Washington University in St. Louis, and Whitman-Walker Health. They used national prescription data from AIDSVu—a mapping tool developed by Emory—and de-identified data provided by MISTR, described as the nation’s largest provider of telePrEP services.
MISTR works with community-based organizations participating in the federal 340B drug pricing program to offer free telePrEP regardless of insurance status. The company covers costs related to labs, consultations, prescriptions, and shipping to help address financial and logistical barriers often associated with HIV prevention.
“This study is validation that our model works and that telehealth can help end HIV and reduce sexually transmitted infections in the U.S.,” said Tristan Schukraft, founder and CEO of MISTR. “When care is free, fast and stigma-free, people use it.”
