“There Needs To Be More People Sharing That Information Across the Nation”: Opportunities to Promote HIV Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis Awareness and Uptake among People Releasing from Jail or Prison

People releasing from jail or prison are at increased risk for contracting HIV, especially in the post-release period, yet there is low uptake of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP). To investigate the potential for increasing PrEP use in this population, we conducted 15 semi-structured interviews with individuals who were released from a Washington State jail or prison between 2018-2023. Participants were recruited with help from community-based organizations focused on HIV prevention, behavioral health, or post-release service provision. Many participants perceived themselves to be at risk for HIV, several were aware of PrEP, and a few were interested in taking PrEP. Most, however, faced structural barriers to PrEP access and felt that they needed more information about HIV risk and prevention before deciding whether PrEP was right for them, particularly in light of competing priorities. Efforts to prevent HIV in this population should focus on increasing awareness and knowledge about HIV risk and about PrEP as a prevention tool, both during and after incarceration. If ambivalence about PrEP use is addressed and interest increases, low-barrier access will be critical for those motivated to use PrEP for HIV prevention. Clinical trial registration Not applicable