BACKGROUND: Daily pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and treatment-as-prevention (TasP) reduce HIV acquisition and transmission risk, respectively. A demonstration study (2015-2017) assessed TasP and PrEP feasibility among female sex workers (FSW) in Cotonou, Benin.

SETTING: Cotonou, Benin

METHODS:: We developed a compartmental HIV transmission model, featuring PrEP, and ART among the high-risk (FSW, clients) and low-risk populations, calibrated to historical epidemiological and demonstration study data, reflecting observed lower PrEP uptake, adherence and retention compared to TasP. We estimated the population-level impact of the two-year study and several twenty-year intervention scenarios, varying coverage and adherence independently and together. We report the percentage (median, 2.5th-97.5th percentile uncertainty interval (95%UI)) of HIV infections prevented comparing the intervention and counterfactual (2017 coverages: 0% PrEP, 49% ART) scenarios.

RESULTS: The two-year study (2017 coverages: 9% PrEP, 83% ART) prevented an estimated 8% (95%UI 6-12) and 6% (3-10) infections among FSW over two and twenty years, respectively, compared to 7% (3-11) and 5% (2-9) overall. The PrEP and TasP arms prevented 0.4% (0.2-0.8) and 4.6% (2.2-8.7) infections overall over 20 years, respectively. Twenty-year PrEP and TasP scale-ups (2035 coverages: 47% PrEP, 88% ART) prevented 21% (17-26) and 17% (10-27) infections among FSW respectively, and 5% (3-10) and 17% (10-27) overall. Compared to TasP scale-up alone, PrEP and TasP combined scale-up prevented 1.9x and 1.2x more infections among FSW and overall, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS: The modest demonstration study impact was modest, and mostly from TasP. Increasing PrEP adherence and coverage improves impact substantially among FSW, but little overall. We recommend TasP in prevention packages.