Preparation of Physician Assistant Students to Manage Patients Living with HIV/AIDS in a Primary Care Setting

Authors

• Austin Parrish, Southern Illinois University CarbondaleFollow

Abstract

This study examined Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS), Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP), and Post-Exposure Prophylaxis (PEP) educational exposure among clinical-phase physician assistant (PA) students and evaluated how well current curricula prepare future providers for HIV prevention and care. A cross-sectional survey of 109 PA students assessed HIV-related knowledge, clinical exposure, and awareness of key public health concepts, while lecture materials from 30 PA programs were analyzed for curricular content. Students demonstrated moderate but incomplete baseline knowledge, and fewer than one-quarter reported observing PrEP prescribing during primary care rotations. Awareness of Undetectable = Untransmittable (U=U) was limited, with only 44% identifying its meaning. Curricular review revealed substantial variability, with only 10% of programs covering all available PrEP options and fewer than half including U=U messaging. These findings indicate meaningful gaps in HIV prevention training and highlight opportunities to strengthen PA curricula to better prepare graduates for comprehensive, stigma-free HIV care in primary care settings.

Keywords: HIV, AIDS, PA Students, PrEP, PEP, Primary Care

Recommended Citation

Parrish, Austin (2026) "Preparation of Physician Assistant Students to Manage Patients Living with HIV/AIDS in a Primary Care Setting," SIU Journal of Medical Science Scholarly Works: Vol. 3: Iss. 1, Article 3.
Available at: https://opensiuc.lib.siu.edu/jmssw/vol3/iss1/3