Background: As HIV remains a critical public health challenge in the Philippines, expanding access to pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is one of the major pillars of the national HIV program. However, successful PrEP implementation depends not only on public awareness campaigns but also on the readiness of healthcare providers to recommend, prescribe, and discuss PrEP. Medical students, as future frontline clinicians, represent a key group whose preparedness to deliver PrEP-related care has received limited attention. This study assessed the awareness, knowledge, and perceived confidence regarding HIV PrEP among third-year medical students at a local medical school.
Methods: We conducted a cross sectional survey and pre-test among third-year medical students (n=121). The survey evaluated PrEP awareness, knowledge of indications and proper use, perceived local availability and access points, and self-rated confidence in counseling patients about PrEP use and access. Responses were summarized using descriptive statistics.
Results: Although most of the students (76.4%) reported prior awareness of PrEP and its role in HIV prevention, 91.1% were unable to correctly identify how to properly use PrEP, and 78% were unaware of local PrEP cost and access points. Self-rated confidence in advising patients on PrEP use was low, with 87% of students reporting they would not feel prepared to discuss PrEP in a clinical encounter. There seems to be a disconnect between general awareness and the practical knowledge and communication skills necessary for clinical implementation.
Conclusions: Third-year medical students demonstrated moderate awareness of PrEP prior to a formal medical lecture, but exhibited significant gaps in applied knowledge and clinical confidence. Integrating structured PrEP education, clinical case discussions, and counseling training into undergraduate medical curricula may strengthen future provider readiness and support national HIV prevention goals in the Philippines.
Keywords: HIV, pre-exposure prophylaxis, medical education, Philippines, future prescribers