Overdose responses among rural people who use drugs: A multi-regional qualitative study.

BACKGROUND: Efforts to distribute naloxone have equipped more people with the ability to reverse opioid overdoses but people who use drugs are often reluctant to call 911 due to concerns for legal repercussions. Rural communities face unique challenges in reducing overdose deaths compared to urban communities, including limited access to harm reduction services as well as greater concerns about stigma and privacy. METHODS: The Rural Opioid Initiative was funded in 2017 to better understand the health-related harms associated with the opioid crisis in rural US communities and consists of eight studies spanning ten states and 65 counties. Each study conducted semi-structured qualitative interviews with people who use drugs to understand contextual factors influencing drug use and health behaviors. We analyzed qualitative data from seven studies with data available at the time of analysis to understand peer response to overdose. RESULTS: Of the 304 participants interviewed, 55% were men, 70% were white, 80% reported current injection drug use, and 60% reported methamphetamine use. Similar to what has been found in studies focused on urban settings, people who use drugs in rural communities use a range of strategies to reverse overdoses, including non-evidence-based approaches. Several reported that multiple doses of naloxone are needed to reverse overdose. Three themes emerged around the willingness to call 911, including (1) hesitancy to call 911 for fear of legal consequences, (2) negative perceptions or experiences with law enforcement officers, and (3) efforts to obtain medical intervention while avoiding identification/law enforcement involvement. CONCLUSION: People who use drugs employ multiple strategies to attempt overdose reversal, including non-evidence-based approaches. Greater education about the most effective and least harmful strategies is needed. Reluctance to call 911 is rooted in concerns about potential legal consequences as well as perceptions about law enforcement officers, which may be heightened in rural communities where people who use drugs are more easily identified by law enforcement. People who use drugs will go to great strides to connect their peers to needed medical services, suggesting that comprehensive interventions to reduce interactions with law enforcement officers and eliminate legal consequences for reporting overdoses are critical.

The Brief Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) Index: A Rapid 3-Item Scale to Measure Engagement in HIV Care.

We created a brief version of The Index, a validated patient-reported measure that has potential to quickly identify patients at risk for poor retention. We analyzed Index scores from 2406 patients from 2016 to 2017 in a national cohort of patients in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) care. Index scores predicted poor retention 12 months after administered.

Associations between alcohol and cigarette use and type 1 and 2 myocardial infarction among people with HIV.

OBJECTIVES: People with HIV have a higher risk of myocardial infarction (MI) than the general population, with a greater proportion of type 2 MI (T2MI) due to oxygen demand-supply mismatch compared with type 1 (T1MI) resulting from atherothrombotic plaque disruption. People living with HIV report a greater prevalence of cigarette and alcohol use than do the general population. Alcohol use and smoking as risk factors for MI by type are not well studied among people living with HIV. We examined longitudinal associations between smoking and alcohol use patterns and MI by type among people living with HIV. DESIGN AND METHODS: Using longitudinal data from the Centers for AIDS Research Network of Integrated Clinical Systems cohort, we conducted time-updated Cox proportional hazards models to determine the impact of smoking and alcohol consumption on adjudicated T1MI and T2MI. RESULTS: Among 13 506 people living with HIV, with a median 4 years of follow-up, we observed 177 T1MI and 141 T2MI. Current smoking was associated with a 60% increase in risk of both T1MI and T2MI. In addition, every cigarette smoked per day was associated with a 4% increase in risk of T1MI, with a suggestive, but not significant, 2% increase for T2MI. Cigarette use had a greater impact on T1MI for men than for women and on T2MI for women than for men. Increasing alcohol use was associated with a lower risk of T1MI but not T2MI. Frequency of heavy episodic alcohol use was not associated with MI. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings reinforce the prioritization of smoking reduction, even without cessation, and cessation among people living with HIV for MI prevention and highlight the different impacts on MI type by gender.

Clinical and Behavioral Outcomes for Transgender Women Engaged in HIV Care: Comparisons to Cisgender Men and Women in the Centers for AIDS Research Network of Integrated Clinical Systems (CNICS) Cohort.

Describe health of transgender women (TW) with HIV vs. cisgender men and women (CM, CW) in a U.S. HIV care cohort. Data were from Centers for AIDS Research Network of Integrated Clinical Systems (CNICS), 2005-2022. TW were identified using clinical data/identity measures. PWH (n = 1285) were included in analyses (275 TW, 547 CM, 463 CW). Cross-sectional multivariable analyses compared HIV outcomes/co-morbidities between TW/CM and TW/CW, and adjusted odds ratios (aOR) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) were estimated. TW had poorer adherence (> 90% adherent; aOR 0.57; 95%CI 0.38, 0.87) and were more likely to miss ≥ 3 visits in the past year than CM (aOR 1.50, 95%CI 1.06, 2.10); indicated more anxiety compared to both CM and CW (p ≤ 0.001, p = 0.02); hepatitis C infection (p = 0.03) and past-year/lifetime substance treatment (p = 0.004/p = 0.001) compared to CM; and substance use relative to CW. TW with HIV differed in HIV clinical outcomes and co-morbidities from CM and CW.

Utility and Impact of the Implementation of Same-Day, Self-administered Electronic Patient-Reported Outcomes Assessments in Routine HIV Care in two North American Clinics.

The PROgress study assessed the value and feasibility of implementing web-based patient-reported outcomes assessments (PROs) within routine HIV care at two North American outpatient clinics. People with HIV (PWH) completed PROs on a tablet computer in clinic before their routine care visit. Data collection included PROs from 1632 unique PWH, 596 chart reviews, 200 patient questionnaires, and 16 provider/staff questionnaires. During an initial setup phase involving 200 patients, PRO results were not delivered to providers; for all subsequent patients, providers received PRO results before the consultation. Chart review demonstrated that delivery of PRO results to providers improved patient-provider communication and increased the number of complex health and behavioral issues identified, recorded, and acted on, including suicidal ideation (88% with vs 38% without PRO feedback) and anxiety (54% with vs 24% without PRO feedback). In post-visit questionnaires, PWH (82%) and providers (82%) indicated that the PRO added value to the visit.

The Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) Index: Using a Patient-Reported Outcome on Engagement in HIV Care to Explain Suboptimal Retention in Care and Virologic Control.

BACKGROUND: We investigated the prospective association between a brief self-report measure of engagement in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) care (the Index of Engagement in HIV Care; hereafter "Index") and suboptimal retention and viral suppression outcomes. METHODS: The Centers for AIDS Research Network of Integrated Clinical Systems cohort study combines medical record data with patient-reported outcomes from 8 HIV clinics in the United States, which from April 2016 to March 2017 included the 10-item Index. Multivariable logistic regression was used to estimate the risk and odds ratios of mean Index scores on 2 outcomes in the subsequent year: (1) not keeping ≥75% of scheduled HIV care appointments; and (2) for those with viral suppression at Index assessment, having viral load >200 copies/mL on ≥1 measurement. We also used generalized linear mixed models (GLMMs) to estimate the risk and odds ratios of appointment nonattendance or unsuppressed viral load at any given observation. We generated receiver operating characteristic curves for the full models overlaid with the Index as a sole predictor. RESULTS: The mean Index score was 4.5 (standard deviation, 0.6). Higher Index scores were associated with lower relative risk of suboptimal retention (n = 2576; logistic regression adjusted risk ratio [aRR], 0.88 [95% confidence interval, .87-.88]; GLMM aRR, 0.85 [.83-.87]) and lack of sustained viral suppression (n = 2499; logistic regression aRR, 0.75 [.68-.83]; GLMM aRR, 0.74 [.68-.80]). The areas under the receiver operating characteristic curve for the full models were 0.69 (95% confidence interval, .67-.71) for suboptimal retention and 0.76 (.72-.79) for lack of sustained viral suppression. CONCLUSIONS: Index scores are significantly associated with suboptimal retention and viral suppression outcomes.

Drug and alcohol use among people living with HIV in care in the United States by geographic region.

Substance use in the U.S. varies by geographic region. Opioid prescribing practices and marijuana, heroin, and methamphetamine availability are evolving differently across regions. We examined self-reported substance use among people living with HIV (PLWH) in care at seven sites from 2017-2019 to understand current regional substance use patterns. We calculated the percentage and standardized percentage of PLWH reporting current drug use and at-risk and binge alcohol use by U.S. Census Bureau geographic region and examined associations in adjusted logistic regression analyses. Among 7,686 PLWH, marijuana use was the most prevalent drug (30%), followed by methamphetamine/crystal (8%), cocaine/crack (7%), and illicit opioids (3%). One-third reported binge alcohol use (32%). Differences in percent of current use by region were seen for marijuana (24-41%) and methamphetamine/crystal (2-15%), with more use in the West and Northeast, and binge alcohol use (26-40%). In adjusted analyses, PLWH in the Midwest were significantly less likely to use methamphetamine/crystal (aOR: 0.13;0.06-0.25) or illicit opioids (aOR:0.16;0.05-0.53), and PLWH in the Northeast were more likely to use cocaine/crack (aOR:1.59;1.16-2.17), compared to PLWH in the West. Understanding differences in substance use patterns in the current era, as policies continue to evolve, will enable more targeted interventions in clinical settings among PLWH.

Impact of Abstinence and of Reducing Illicit Drug Use Without Abstinence on Human Immunodeficiency Virus Viral Load.

BACKGROUND: Substance use is common among people living with human immunodeficiency virus (PLWH) and a barrier to achieving viral suppression. Among PLWH who report illicit drug use, we evaluated associations between HIV viral load (VL) and reduced use of illicit opioids, methamphetamine/crystal, cocaine/crack, and marijuana, regardless of whether or not abstinence was achieved. METHODS: This was a longitudinal cohort study of PLWH from 7 HIV clinics or 4 clinical studies. We used joint longitudinal and survival models to examine the impact of decreasing drug use and of abstinence for each drug on viral suppression. We repeated analyses using linear mixed models to examine associations between change in frequency of drug use and VL. RESULTS: The number of PLWH who were using each drug at baseline ranged from n = 568 (illicit opioids) to n = 4272 (marijuana). Abstinence was associated with higher odds of viral suppression (odds ratio [OR], 1.4-2.2) and lower relative VL (ranging from 21% to 42% by drug) for all 4 drug categories. Reducing frequency of illicit opioid or methamphetamine/crystal use without abstinence was associated with VL suppression (OR, 2.2, 1.6, respectively). Reducing frequency of illicit opioid or methamphetamine/crystal use without abstinence was associated with lower relative VL (47%, 38%, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Abstinence was associated with viral suppression. In addition, reducing use of illicit opioids or methamphetamine/crystal, even without abstinence, was also associated with viral suppression. Our findings highlight the impact of reducing substance use, even when abstinence is not achieved, and the potential benefits of medications, behavioral interventions, and harm-reduction interventions.

Acceptability of Using Geosocial Networking Applications for HIV/Sexually Transmitted Disease Partner Notification and Sexual Health Services.

BACKGROUND: Geosocial networking (GSN) app use among men who have sex with men (MSM) has presented new opportunities for increasing the reach and efficiency of sexual health interventions but also poses challenges to HIV/sexually transmitted disease partner notification. Understanding MSM's attitudes toward app-based preventive sexual health services can help inform their development and delivery. METHODS: We recruited US MSM who had met a sex partner on GSN apps in the last year to participate in an online survey assessing acceptability and preferences regarding app-based partner notification, health department presence, and sexual health services. Three app-based notification strategies were presented: sending notification messages through participant's/partner's app profile, health department app profile, or in-app anonymous messaging. RESULTS: Of 791 respondents, a majority (70%) preferred to be notified by their partner directly; however, most would get tested if notified by health department profile (95%) or anonymous in-app message (85%). Given the options provided, 50% preferred notifying a partner using their own profile, 26% with health department assistance, and 24% via in-app anonymous message. A majority (71%) were comfortable notifying a partner through a health department profile, and 74% were comfortable using in-app anonymous messaging. Most participants (82%) were comfortable with health departments having app profiles to provide sexual health services. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that GSN app-based partner notification and sexual health services would be used by and are acceptable to US MSM. Partnering with app companies to integrate these services and increase access to public health programs has potential to improve MSM sexual health.

How Do Treatment Priorities Differ Between Patients in HIV Care and Their Providers? A Mixed-Methods Study.

Evidence suggests priorities differ between patients in HIV care and their providers regarding topics most important to address in care. At five U.S. sites, we asked patients and providers to prioritize 25 potential topic areas to address during routine visits, and invited patients to discuss selection rationale. Patients (n = 206) and providers (n = 17) showed high discordance in rank order priorities (X2 (24, 223) = 71.12; p < 0.0001). Patients ranked social domains such as HIV stigma highly; a higher proportion of providers prioritized substance use domains. HIV stigma was a higher priority for patients in care fewer than 6 years (Fisher's exact p = 0.0062), nonwhite patients (Fisher's exact p = 0.0114), and younger patients (Fisher's exact p = 0.0281). Patients' priorities differed between men and women (X2 (24, 188) = 52.89; p < 0.0001), white race vs. other races (X2 (24, 206) = 48.32; p = 0.0023), and Latinos vs. non-Latinos (X2 (24, 206) = 48.65; p = 0.0021). Interviews (n = 79) revealed perceived impact of social context on health and health behaviors.

Alcohol Use Patterns and Subsequent Sexual Behaviors Among Women, Men who have Sex with Men and Men who have Sex with Women Engaged in Routine HIV Care in the United States.

Among people with HIV, alcohol use is associated with increased prevalence of sexual transmission behaviors. We examined associations between alcohol use in the prior year and sexual behaviors approximately six months later among 1857 women, 6752 men who have sex with men (MSM) and 2685 men who have sex with women (MSW). Any alcohol use was associated with increased risk of unsafe vaginal sex among women; anal sex and =>2 anal sex partners among MSM; and anal sex, =>2 anal or vaginal sex partners, and unsafe vaginal sex among MSW. In particular, among women >7 alcoholic drinks/week and among MSW =>5 alcoholic drinks/drinking day increased the likelihood of certain subsequent sexual behaviors. For all groups, especially women, the risk of sex under the influence of drugs/alcohol markedly increased with increases in quantity and frequency of alcohol consumption. These different patterns of drinking and sexual behaviors indicate the importance of tailored counseling messages to women, MSM and MSW.

Development and content validation of the Multifactoral assessment of perceived social support (MAPSS), a brief, patient-reported measure of social support for use in HIV care.

Low perceived social support (SS) negatively impacts health outcomes. We developed a measure of perceived SS for use in HIV care. We sought and categorized legacy items, selecting strongest items within categories. We elicited SS concepts from patients in English/Spanish, coded transcripts to match item pool content, and developed new items for salient unrepresented content. In focus groups, patients prioritized highly-matched items. We conducted cognitive interviews on high-priority items, and validity testing on final items against two legacy measures. From interviews (n = 32), we matched the following concepts: sense of belonging/inclusion; communication; emotional support; feeling accepted by others as a person; companionship; and practical support. We identified a new concept: support from friends/family in remaining healthy. Focus groups (n = 23) prioritized emotional support, communication, and support to remain healthy. Cognitive interviews (n = 30) found items were well-understood. The final 8-item measure performed well with patients (n = 708), with good construct validity. We used an Item Response Theory program to create a 3-item Short Form version of the measure, which captures 96% of patients indicating low social support. We developed the Multifactoral Assessment of Perceived Social Support (MAPSS) and Short Form (MAPSS-SF); brief, clinically relevant, sufficiently unidimensional measures of SS for use in HIV care.

HIV Viral Suppression Trends Over Time Among HIV-Infected Patients Receiving Care in the United States, 1997 to 2015: A Cohort Study.

Background: Because HIV viral suppression is essential for optimal outcomes and prevention efforts, understanding trends and predictors is imperative to inform public health policy. Objective: To evaluate viral suppression trends in people living with HIV (PLWH), including the relationship of associated factors, such as demographic characteristics and integrase strand transfer inhibitor (ISTI) use. Design: Longitudinal observational cohort study. Setting: 8 HIV clinics across the United States. Participants: PLWH receiving clinical care. Measurements: To understand trends in viral suppression (≤400 copies/mL), annual viral suppression rates from 1997 to 2015 were determined. Analyses were repeated with tests limited to 1 random test per person per year and using inverse probability of censoring weights to address loss to follow-up. Joint longitudinal and survival models and linear mixed models of PLWH receiving antiretroviral therapy (ART) were used to examine associations between viral suppression or continuous viral load (VL) levels and demographic factors, substance use, adherence, and ISTI use. Results: Viral suppression increased from 32% in 1997 to 86% in 2015 on the basis of all tests among 31 930 PLWH. In adjusted analyses, being older (odds ratio [OR], 0.76 per decade [95% CI, 0.74 to 0.78]) and using an ISTI-based regimen (OR, 0.54 [CI, 0.51 to 0.57]) were associated with lower odds of having a detectable VL, and black race was associated with higher odds (OR, 1.68 [CI, 1.57 to 1.80]) (P < 0.001 for each). Similar patterns were seen with continuous VL levels; when analyses were limited to 2010 to 2015; and with adjustment for adherence, substance use, or depression. Limitation: Results are limited to PLWH receiving clinical care. Conclusion: HIV viral suppression rates have improved dramatically across the United States, which is likely partially attributable to improved ART, including ISTI-based regimens. However, disparities among younger and black PLWH merit attention. Primary Funding Source: National Institutes of Health.

Circumstances Surrounding High-risk Sexual Experiences Among Primary Care Patients Living With and Without HIV.

INTRODUCTION: Rates of sexually transmitted infection (STI) are rising in the USA, yet STI risk remains under-addressed by providers, even in HIV care, and with high-risk patients. We interviewed primary care patients living with and without HIV regarding circumstances surrounding sexual risk behavior to identify opportunities for providers to address and reduce STI risk. METHODS: We conducted semi-structured 1:1 interviews with patients living with and without HIV reporting ≥ 1 sex partner and varying STI exposure risk in the past 12 months from four geographically diverse US HIV and primary care clinics. We audio-recorded, transcribed, and coded interviews by circumstance type, using double-coding to ensure inter-coder reliability. We used Fisher's exact and T tests to determine associations with demographic/risk factors. RESULTS: Patients (n = 91) identified a mean of 3 of 11 circumstances. These included substance use (54%), desire for physical/emotional intimacy (48%), lack of HIV/STI status disclosure (44%), psychological drivers (i.e., coping, depression; 38%), personal dislike of condoms (22%), partner condom dislike/refusal (19%), receiving payment for sex (13%), and condom unavailability (9%). Higher proportions of those who were high STI-exposure risk patients, defined as those with ≥ 2 sex partners in the past 3 months reporting never or sometimes using condoms, reported disliking condoms (p = .006); higher proportions of the high-risk and moderate-risk (≥ 2 partners and condom use "most of the time") groups reported substance use as a circumstance (p = .04). CONCLUSION: Circumstances surrounding perceived STI exposure risk were diverse, often overlapping, and dependent on internal, environmental, and partner-related factors and inadequate communication. Meaningful care-based interventions regarding HIV/STI transmission behavior must address the diversity and interplay of these factors.

Development and Content Validation of a Patient-Reported Sexual Risk Measure for Use in Primary Care.

BACKGROUND: Patient-provider sexual risk behavior discussions occur infrequently but may be facilitated by high-quality sexual risk screening tools. OBJECTIVE: To develop the Sexual Risk Behavior Inventory (SRBI), a brief computer-administered patient-reported measure. DESIGN: Qualitative item development/quantitative instrument validation. PARTICIPANTS: We developed SRBI items based on patient interviews (n = 128) at four geographically diverse US primary care clinics. Patients were diverse in gender identity, sex, sexual orientation, age, race/ethnicity, and HIV status. We compared sexual risk behavior identified by the SRBI and the Risk Assessment Battery (RAB) among patients (n = 422). APPROACH: We constructed an item pool based on validated measures of sexual risk, developed an in-depth interview guide based on pool content, and used interviews to elicit new sexual risk concepts. We coded concepts, matched them to item pool content, and developed new content where needed. A provider team evaluated item clinical relevance. We conducted cognitive interviews to assess item comprehensibility. We administered the SRBI and the RAB to patients. KEY RESULTS: Common, clinically relevant concepts in the SRBI included number of sex partners; partner HIV status; partner use of antiretroviral medication (ART)/pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP); and recent sex without barrier protection, direction of anal sex, and concern regarding HIV/STI exposure. While 90% reported inconsistent condom use on the RAB, same-day SRBI administration revealed that for over one third, all their partners were on ART/PrEP. CONCLUSION: The SRBI is a brief, skip-patterned, clinically relevant measure that ascertains sexual risk behavior across sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, partner HIV serostatus, and partner treatment status, furnishing providers with context to determine gradations of risk for HIV/STI.

HIV Provider Documentation and Actions Following Patient Reports of At-risk Behaviors and Conditions When Identified by a Web-Based Point-of-Care Assessment.

We compared same-day provider medical record documentation and interventions addressing depression and risk behaviors before and after delivering point-of-care patient-reported outcomes (PROs) feedback for patients who self-reported clinically relevant levels of depression or risk behaviors. During the study period (1 January 2006-15 October 2010), 2289 PRO assessments were completed by HIV-infected patients. Comparing the 8 months before versus after feedback implementation, providers were more likely to document depression (74% before vs. 87% after feedback, p = 0.02) in patients with moderate-to-severe depression (n = 317 assessments), at-risk alcohol use (41 vs. 64%, p = 0.04, n = 155) and substance use (60 vs. 80%, p = 0.004, n = 212). Providers were less likely to incorrectly document good adherence among patients with inadequate adherence after feedback (42 vs. 24%, p = 0.02, n = 205). While PRO feedback of depression and adherence were followed by increased provider intervention, other domains were not. Further investigation of factors associated with the gap between awareness and intervention are needed in order to bridge this divide.

Prevalence and Factors Associated with Hazardous Alcohol Use Among Persons Living with HIV Across the US in the Current Era of Antiretroviral Treatment.

Hazardous alcohol use is associated with detrimental health outcomes among persons living with HIV (PLWH). We examined the prevalence and factors associated with hazardous alcohol use in the current era using several hazardous drinking definitions and binge drinking defined as ≥5 drinks for men versus ≥4 for women. We included 8567 PLWH from 7 U.S. sites from 2013 to 2015. Current hazardous alcohol use was reported by 27% and 34% reported binge drinking. In adjusted analyses, current and past cocaine/crack (odd ratio [OR] 4.1:3.3-5.1, p < 0.001 and OR 1.3:1.1-1.5, p < 0.001 respectively), marijuana (OR 2.5:2.2-2.9, p < 0.001 and OR 1.4:1.2-1.6, p < 0.001), and cigarette use (OR 1.4:1.2-1.6, p < 0.001 and OR 1.3:1.2-1.5, p < 0.001) were associated with increased hazardous alcohol use. The prevalence of hazardous alcohol use remains high in the current era, particularly among younger men. Routine screening and targeted interventions for hazardous alcohol use, potentially bundled with interventions for other drugs, remain a key aspect of HIV care.

Content validity of Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) items in the context of HIV clinical care.

PURPOSE: To assess content validity and patient and provider prioritization of Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) depression, anxiety, fatigue, and alcohol use items in the context of clinical care for people living with HIV (PLWH), and to develop and assess new items as needed. METHODS: We conducted concept elicitation interviews (n = 161), item pool matching, prioritization focus groups (n = 227 participants), and cognitive interviews (n = 48) with English-speaking (~75 %) and Spanish-speaking (~25 %) PLWH from clinical sites in Seattle, San Diego, Birmingham, and Boston. For each domain we also conducted item review and prioritization with two HIV provider panels of 3-8 members each. RESULTS: Among items most highly prioritized by PLWH and providers were those that included information regarding personal impacts of the concept being assessed, in addition to severity level. Items that addressed impact were considered most actionable for clinical care. We developed additional items addressing this. For depression we developed items related to suicide and other forms of self-harm, and for all domains we developed items addressing impacts PLWH and/or providers indicated were particularly relevant to clinical care. Across the 4 domains, 16 new items were retained for further psychometric testing. CONCLUSION: PLWH and providers had priorities for what they believed providers should know to provide optimal care for PLWH. Incorporation of these priorities into clinical assessments used in clinical care of PLWH may facilitate patient-centered care.

Patient and provider priorities for self-reported domains of HIV clinical care.

We sought to understand how HIV-infected patients, their providers, and HIV care researchers prioritize self-reported domains of clinical care. Participants rank-ordered two lists of domains. A modified Delphi process was used for providers and researchers. Approximately 25% of patients were interviewed to discuss rationale for rank order choices. List 1 included anger, anxiety, depression, fatigue, physical function, pain, and sleep disturbance. List 2 included alcohol abuse, cognitive function, HIV stigma, HIV and treatment symptoms, medication adherence, positive affect, sexual risk behavior, sexual function, social roles, spirituality/meaning of life, and substance abuse. Seventy-four providers, 80 HIV care researchers, and 66 patients participated. Patients ranked context-based domains, such as HIV stigma, more highly than providers, while health behaviors, such as drug or alcohol use, ranked lower. Patients described a need to address wider-context challenges such as HIV stigma in order to positively impact health behaviors. Divergent patient and provider priorities highlight the importance of incorporating views from all stakeholders and suggests the need for a care approach that more effectively addresses contextual barriers to adverse health behaviors.

Doxycycline as Postsexual Exposure Prophylaxis: Use, Acceptability, and Associated Sexual Health Behaviors Among a Multi-Site Sample of Clinical Trial Participants.

Doxycycline postexposure prophylaxis (doxy-PEP) reduces sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in men who have sex with men (MSM) and transgender women (TGW). In a clinical trial of doxy-PEP, we sought to assess acceptability, impact, and meaning of doxy-PEP use among MSM/TGW. We conducted semistructured, in-depth 1:1 interviews with MSM and TGW enrolled in the intervention arm of the Doxy-PEP study. We queried motivations for and meaning of use, attitudes, beliefs, adherence, effect on sexual behaviors, and partner, community, and structural factors related to use. We coded interview transcripts into content areas, followed by thematic analysis. We interviewed 44 participants (median age 38), 2% were TGW, 17% Black, 61% White, 30% Hispanic, and 45% persons with HIV. We identified three overarching themes. First, participants found doxy-PEP acceptable, and believed it was effective based on their history of STIs, easy to adhere to, and acceptable to sex partners. Second, doxy-PEP benefited their quality of life and mental health, offering "peace of mind" by reducing their anxiety about acquisition or unwitting transmission of STIs. Participants reported feeling more "in control" of preventing STIs, and positive about supporting their personal, partner, and community health. Third, impact on sexual behavior was variable, with most reporting no change or a brief initial change. Participants in a multi-site clinical trial of doxycycline for STI prevention perceived it to be efficacious, and that it provided quality-of-life benefits, including reduced anxiety and sense of control over sexual health. Doxy-PEP had limited impact on sexual behavior. Clinicaltrials.gov: NCT03980223.