ABSTRACT
Oral pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is an effective HIV prevention strategy with high efficacy. An increased willingness to use PrEP among at-risk Indian men who have sex with men (MSM) population has been reported; however, little is known about their real experiences that guide their key motivators, facilitators, and barriers with using oral and Long-Acting (LA) Injectable PrEP. We recruited participants (n = 18) through active MSM social media networks. The interviews were conducted using teleconferencing software. Interview topics included participants' sources of knowledge, experiences accessing daily PrEP, safe-sex behaviors while on PrEP, barriers and facilitators around PrEP, long-term goals with PrEP, perceptions around LA PrEP, and discussion around decision-making to switch from oral PrEP to LA PrEP. Transcripts were coded according to interview topics, and key themes were analyzed using a topical data analysis approach. Participants (median age 28 years, ranging from 18 to 40) reported a high perceived risk of HIV. This increased perceived risk was a key motivator for oral PrEP uptake. Most participants shared that they accessed PrEP through non-profit organizations serving the MSM community, where doctor consultations and medication were either free or subsidized. Even when participants reported high adherence to oral PrEP, they expressed discontent with the requirement to take it daily. High condom usage was reported concomitantly with PrEP use among most participants, except for a few who preferred bareback sex. Participants shared that they would prefer to continue PrEP until they are in a monogamous, exclusive relationship. The cost and affordability remained recurring themes, and while participants could afford oral PrEP, they wished it was cheaper, making it more accessible to the community at large. Most participants did not have prior knowledge of LA injectable PrEP but welcomed the intervention, alluding to cost and availability as the key decision-making factors affecting switching. MSM from India we interviewed adopted oral PrEP as an additional HIV prevention strategy to condoms through non-profit and private channels. Cost and broader access remains a concern among the MSM community. More acceptability research about long-acting PrEP is needed among MSM in the Indian context, and it is recommended for government interventions to include oral PrEP groups at higher risk of HIV acquisition.
ABSTRACT
PURPOSE: The purpose of this study is to assess the content validity of the Diabetes Distress Scale (DDS) among adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) living in rural Dominican Republic communities. METHODS: Researchers conducted cognitive interviews with 20 adults with T2DM to assess how they answered a Spanish version of the 17-item DDS, a commonly used scale to measure diabetes distress. Interviews were done iteratively to allow for revisions and testing of those revisions with the participants. Analysis involved field notes, text summaries, and cognitive coding. RESULTS: The sample was 55% women, had a mean age of 55 years, and came from 10 rural communities. The cognitive interviews highlighted needed changes across comprehension, judgment (clarity), recall, response process, and logical/structural issue domains. Participants generally understood the DDS; however, 4 items, the introduction, and response options were revised to improve participant response. The items were revised using wording from the participants themselves. By changing certain terms and splitting a couple of items, these items improved comprehension and judgment. The introduction was simplified from 2 paragraphs to 1 to reduce structural issues (ie, scale's features), and the response options were reduced from 6 options to 5 options to improve the response process. CONCLUSIONS: Based on iterative study findings, the researchers propose expanding the 17-item DDS to 19 items to improve participant response. Revising the DDS to account for cultural and structural changes will improve clinical and public health understanding of the role of diabetes distress on T2DM management among Dominican adults.