Instruments for Assessing Population Knowledge of Pre-exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) and/or Post-exposure Prophylaxis (PEP) for HIV: A Scoping Review

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Abstract
Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) are central strategies for HIV prevention; however, a comprehensive understanding of how knowledge about these strategies is measured across different contexts remains limited. This scoping review aimed to map the instruments used to assess knowledge of PrEP and/or PEP. The study followed the recommendations of the JBI Reviewer’s Manual, with a systematic search conducted on August 27, 2024, in PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, the Virtual Health Library, and grey literature. Original studies assessing knowledge of PrEP and/or PEP were included. Two reviewers independently conducted study selection through title and abstract screening, followed by full-text assessment. Data extraction was performed by a single researcher, and the findings were presented descriptively. A total of 1,922 records were retrieved, of which 49 studies were included. Cross-sectional studies predominated (n = 45; 91.8%), as did publications from 2020 to 2024 (n = 25; 51.0%). The instruments focused mainly on PEP (n = 27; 55.1%), followed by PrEP (n = 20; 40.8%), and were administered primarily to healthcare professionals or healthcare students (n = 35; 71.4%). The instruments varied in terms of the number of items, response formats, and scoring criteria, and showed limited reporting of their development and psychometric properties. The findings highlight substantial variability in the characteristics of instruments used to assess population knowledge of PrEP and/or PEP. Important gaps were identified in the reporting of instrument development and validation processes, reinforcing the need for methodologically robust instruments to assess population knowledge of PrEP and PEP.
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  • Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo

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