A new national analysis finds that telemedicine now delivers nearly 20% of PrEP in the United States. In 2024, more than 110,000 of about 580,000 PrEP users received medication through telemedicine. This share rose from under 1% in 2019 and from 9% in 2022.
Researchers combined national PrEP prescription counts with de-identified data from a large telePrEP provider. Total PrEP use also grew, from about 264,000 users in 2019 to more than 591,000 in 2024. The study highlights telehealth as a way to reduce barriers and help people stay in care.
Difficult words
- telemedicine — medical care by phone or video
- telehealth — health services using technology and internet
- prescription — a doctor's written order for medicine
- provider — an organization or person giving health care
- de-identified — personal data with names and identifiers removed
- barrier — something that makes access difficultbarriers
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Discussion questions
- Have you ever used telemedicine to see a health worker? What was it like?
- Do you think telehealth can help people stay in care? Why or why not?
- What problems might stop someone from using telemedicine or telehealth?
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