Knowledge, Attitudes, and Experiences among PrEP Providers in the Indonesian Pilot PrEP Program: A Cross-Sectional Survey

To scale up PrEP, Indonesia launched a pilot program between 2022 and 2023. This study investigates PrEP providers’ knowledge and attitudes to identify barriers and facilitators for future PrEP scale-up in the country. An online survey with convenience sampling was conducted for healthcare workers and community workers at PrEP-providing facilities between May and June 2023. The survey collected data on participants’ knowledge, attitudes, and experiences in offering PrEP as well as basic demographic information. Logistic regressions were conducted to identify factors associated with support for the PrEP program and comfort offering PrEP. 197 participants were recruited, including 63 healthcare workers and 134 community workers. On knowledge, 84.4% knew the correct definition for PrEP, 62.4% knew all target groups, 51.8% knew all eligibility criteria, and 31.0% knew all initiation procedures. Support for the PrEP program was expressed by 70.1% of participants, and 55.2% of experienced participants were comfortable offering PrEP. Community workers were more likely to express support for the PrEP program (aOR 4.00, 95%CI 1.03–15.54) while participants who supported the program in turn were more likely to be comfortable offering PrEP (aOR 4.06, 95%CI 2.24–7.38). The study highlights the importance of fostering positive attitudes toward PrEP for provider comfort in offering it. It also shows the potential for increased empowerment for community workers as the main drivers of the PrEP program. Targeted training and further research are needed to support providers effectively.