DOT Diary: Developing a Novel Mobile App Using Artificial Intelligence and an Electronic Sexual Diary to Measure and Support PrEP Adherence Among Young Men Who Have Sex with Men.

Young men who have sex with men (YMSM) are highly vulnerable to HIV. While pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) has demonstrated effectiveness, adherence has been low among YMSM and difficult to measure accurately. In collaboration with a healthcare company, we configured an automated directly-observed therapy (aDOT) platform for monitoring and supporting PrEP use. Based on interest expressed in focus groups among 54 YMSM, we combined aDOT with an electronic sexual diary to provide feedback on level of protection during sex and to motivate app use. In an 8-week optimization pilot with 20 YMSM in San Francisco and Atlanta, the app was found to be highly acceptable, with median System Usability Scale scores in the "excellent" range (80/100). App use was high, with median PrEP adherence of 91% based on aDOT-confirmed dosing. Most (84%) participants reported the app helped with taking PrEP. These promising findings support further evaluation of DOT Diary in future effectiveness studies.

Understanding PrEP Persistence: Provider and Patient Perspectives.

PrEP persistence, or PrEP use over time, has been shown to be short, with most PrEP users stopping within 6-12 months. Furthermore, those most vulnerable to HIV often use PrEP for shorter periods. This qualitative study explores patient, provider, and contextual factors that influence PrEP persistence. In interviews with 25 PrEP users and 18 PrEP providers in San Francisco's safety net clinics, we analyze the perceived benefits and difficulties of taking PrEP, including structural barriers. We identify different steps in receipt of PrEP care (clinic visits and lab tests, pharmacy interactions, and medication adherence), and describe barriers and facilitators for providers and patients at each step. Our findings suggest that drop-in visits, streamlined testing, standing orders for labs, and 90-day PrEP prescriptions are highly desirable for many PrEP users. Also important are the proactive provision of adherence support and counseling, and referrals for housing, substance use, and mental health services.

Impact of the Dapivirine Vaginal Ring on Sexual Experiences and Intimate Partnerships of Women in an HIV Prevention Clinical Trial: Managing Ring Detection and Hot Sex.

Vaginally-inserted HIV prevention methods have been reported to impact the sexual experience for women and their partners, and hence impacts acceptability of and adherence to the method. We analyzed in-depth interviews and focus group discussions about participants' sexual experiences while wearing the ring, collected during the MTN-020/ASPIRE phase 3 safety and effectiveness trial of a dapivirine vaginal ring for HIV prevention in Malawi, South Africa, Uganda, and Zimbabwe. Most women reported that partners did not feel the ring during sex, however, women felt they had to manage their partners' interaction with or reaction to the ring. In maintaining positive relationships, women were concerned about partners' discovering ring use and about ensuring that partners had a good sexual experience with them. Finally women were concerned about how they themselves experienced sex with the ring. Some found that the ring made the vaginal environment more desirable for their partners and themselves.

Trust - that's a big one: intimate partnership values among urban Latino youth.

Romantic relationships play a central role in young people's social development and sexual health. This paper examines romantic relationship ideals valued by urban Latino youth in San Francisco and their experiences in achieving their ideals in their current relationship. We draw on in-depth interviews with 33 young men and women aged 16-22 years in San Francisco, California. In spite of, or perhaps related to, the prevailing perception that their peers were unfaithful in their relationships, young people in this study identified trust as one of the most important characteristics of a romantic relationship. Trust was related not only to fidelity, but also vulnerability and emotional intimacy. Understanding valued relationship ideals and factors that facilitate and impede their attainment is critical in promoting healthy relationships.

Alcohol use patterns among postpartum women.

While much attention has been paid to women's drinking during pregnancy, few studies address a woman's drinking once she has given birth, which presents potential dangers to herself and her child. This time of transition can be extremely stressful, potentially leading to problem drinking. On the other hand, this new role and change in lifestyle may be protective against alcohol use and abuse. We used the California Women's Health Survey (CWHS), a randomized sample of adult women in California, to compare new mothers' drinking behaviors to other women. In order to obtain a large enough sample to observe trends in subpopulations, we combined CWHS data from years 1997-2008 (n = 28,537 women aged 18-48). We used logistic regression to determine the individual-level characteristics that best predicted the outcomes postpartum and to compare new mothers (those with a child in the household <1 year and pregnant in the last 5 years) to other women for any alcohol use, heavy episodic drinking and number of days of alcohol use. New mothers were significantly less likely to engage in all behavior outcomes after adjustment for race/ethnicity, income, employment, education, age, and marital status, though new mothers who are not married and those in higher income brackets were identified as groups at higher risk of drinking. Although new motherhood could prove to be a risk factor for some women, we found that being a new mother is protective against all measures of drinking.

Perceptions of the "Fabric" - An exploratory study of a novel multi-purpose technology among women in Sub Saharan Africa.

BACKGROUND: HIV and pregnancy prevention are dual health priorities for women, and particularly in sub-Saharan Africa. Drug-eluting fibers offer a dosage form that combines HIV prevention and contraception, but early understanding of end-user perspectives is critical to avoid misalignment between products being developed and preferred product attributes. METHODS: Focus group discussions (FGDs) were conducted in South Africa, Uganda and Zimbabwe, among 55 women who had used vaginal products in previous trials. Participants were given the opportunity to feel a sample of electrospun nanofiber (the fabric), see how it dissolves, and give feedback on shape, size and other attributes. Women were also asked to compare the fabric to vaginal gel and film. RESULTS: Three key themes regarding the acceptability of the fabric emerged: 1) look and feel of the product undissolved vs. undissolved, 2) expected effect on sex, and 3) convenience and ease of use. Upon being presented with the fabric, women were initially distrustful, seeing it as undesirable for vaginal insertion. Women generally approved of the product once they saw it dissolve. However, they stressed the importance of the product not interfering with sex by altering the vaginal environment. Women also reacted favorably to the perceived convenience of the fabric, particularly with regards to storage and transport, perceived ease of insertion and use, and dosing regimen. CONCLUSION: Multipurpose prevention technologies, and nanofibers in particular, should be developed with an eye to minimizing impact on sex while maximizing convenience, and presented in such a way as to emphasize non-abrasiveness and ease of dissolution.