ANRS Prevenir cohort

What is the aim of the cohort?

The main objective of the cohort is to significantly reduce the number of new HIV infections in the region by facilitating access to PrEP, a strategy for preventing HIV infection, for high-risk populations.

To achieve this, the cohort recruited participants who were not infected with HIV but were at high risk of contracting the virus. A total of 3,057 HIV-negative volunteer participants at high risk of HIV infection were included.

The PrEP administered is the antiretroviral treatment combination Tenofovir/emtricitabine TDF/FTC, in accordance with the indications and conditions of use defined by the French Marketing Authorisation (MA), the French National Recommendations and the European MA for medicines.

ANRS Prevenir cohort: improving and evaluating the impact of PrEP in France

Watch the ANRS Prevenir presentation by Pr Molina, Saint-Louis and Lariboisière hospitals, AP-HP and Université Paris Cité

Latest project news

CROI 2026: Final results of the ANRS Prevenir study with daily or on demand oral PrEP with TDF/FTC

On-demand PrEP with TDF/FTC is now recommended as an alternative to daily PrEP for men who have sex with men (MSM). However, long-term experience is lacking.

Jean-Michel Molina presented at CROI 2026 the final results of the prospective cohort study Prevenir comparing the two modalities.

Individuals at high risk for HIV infection (MSM and transgender individuals) individuals at high risk for HIV infection using PrEP. MSM could opt for either daily or on-demand PrEP with TDF/FTC and could switch. The main objective was to assess the overall HIV incidence in the study. From May 3^rd 2017 to May 2^nd 2025, 3 209 subjects were enrolled across 22 sites in the Paris region, and medical monitoring and PrEP use trajectories were analysed.

The results showed that HIV incidence (< 1/1000 person/years) was low despite increasing rates of condomless sex. Rate of study discontinuation was lower in participants who switched between PrEP regimens.

Major publications with the ANRS Prevenir Cohort

Several studies have been set up as part of the ANRS Prévenir research programme and major publications have been produced based on the cohort:

• The ANRS-Prévenir study published in 2022, which showed that on-demand PrEP was as effective as continuous PrEP, with a low incidence of HIV-1 on PrEP that did not differ between participants using daily PrEP and those using on-demand PrEP.
  The ANRS DOXYVAC trial, conducted as part of the PREVENIR cohort, demonstrated the post-exposure efficacy of an antibiotic, doxycycline, in reducing the occurrence of STIs (see press release below)

Scientific publications

1. Engagement in PrEP care at one year among men who have sex with men enrolled in the French ANRS PREVENIR cohort study, Liegeon G, Assoumou L, Béniguel L, et al. Open Forum Infectious Diseases, 2024;, ofae744,
2. Doxycycline prophylaxis and meningococcal group B vaccine to prevent bacterial sexually transmitted infections in France (ANRS 174 DOXYVAC): a multicentre, open-label, randomised trial with a 2 × 2 factorial design. Molina JM, Bercot B, Assoumou L, et al; ANRS 174 DOXYVAC Study Group. Lancet Infect Dis. 2024 May 23:S1473-3099(24)00236-6
3. Ex-vivo rectal tissue infection with HIV-1 to assess time to protection following oral preexposure prophylaxis with tenofovir disoproxil/emtricitabine. Chawki S, Goldwirt L, Mouhebb ME, et al; ANRS PREVENIR Study group. 2024 Mar 15;38(4):455-464.
4. Perception of PrEP-related stigma in PrEP users: Results from the ANRS-PREVENIR Protiere C, Sagaon-Teyssier L, Donadille C, et al; ANRS PREVENIR Study-Group. HIV Med. 2023 Aug;24(8):938-945
5. Impact on renal function of daily and on-demand HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis in the ANRS-PREVENIR Liegeon G, Assoumou L, Ghosn J, El Mouhebb M, Palich R, Palacios C, Slama L, Surgers L, Genin M, Beniguel L, Goldwirt L, Duvivier C, Rojas Castro D, Costagliola D, Molina JM. J Antimicrob Chemother. 2022 Nov 28;77(12):3427-3435
6. Daily and on-demand HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis with emtricitabine and tenofovir disoproxil (ANRS PREVENIR): a prospective observational cohort study. Molina JM, Ghosn J, Assoumou L, et al; ANRS PREVENIR Study Group. Lancet HIV. 2022 Aug;9(8):e554-e562.
7. Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 Seroprevalence Among HIV-Negative Participants Using Tenofovir/Emtricitabine-Based Preexposure Prophylaxis in 2020: A Substudy of the French National Agency for Research on AIDS and Viral Hepatitis PREVENIR and Inserm SAPRIS-Sero Cohorts. Delaugerre C, Assoumou L, Maylin S, et al; PREVENIR and SAPRIS-Sero Study Groups. Open Forum Infect Dis. 2022 Apr 12;9(7):ofac188
8. How PrEP users constitute a community in the MSM population through their specific experience and management of stigmatization. The example of the French ANRS-PREVENIR Puppo C, Spire B, Morel S, et al. AIDS Care. 2020 May;32(sup2):32-39.