Status-Neutral Interventions to Support Health Equity for Black Sexual Minority Men.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Status-neutral care, a person-centered approach to healthcare not predicated on HIV serostatus, may improve health equity among Black sexual minority men (BSMM). We reviewed current status-neutral, HIV, and Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) interventions, and coded each for social-ecological focus and use of six approaches: (1) person-centered, (2) anti-stigma, (3) social support, (4) the social determinants of health (SDOH), (5) community engagement, and (6) multi-sectoral partnerships. RECENT FINDINGS: We reviewed 25 studies, of which 3 were status-neutral. Nineteen studies utilized person-centered approaches, with several employing BSMM peers. For SDOH, financial incentives and reducing clinic-level barriers to care improved cascade outcomes. Direct text messaging, anti-stigma, social support, community-engagement, and multi-sectoral partnerships also improved outcomes in some studies. Few status-neutral programs exist and additional research is needed to identify key intervention components and mechanisms of influence. Programs targeting SDOH and multiple social-ecological levels offer promise for providing holistic care to BSMM, while addressing HIV prevention and treatment and health equity.

Implementation of a Socio-structural Demonstration Project to Improve HIV Outcomes Among Young Black Men in the Deep South.

BACKGROUND: We describe the background, rationale, intervention components, and formative results of a demonstration project aimed to ameliorate five socio-structural barriers to HIV services for young Black men aged 18-29 living with and at risk for HIV in Louisiana. METHODS: The interventions and activities consisted of (1) five person-centered approaches to enhance linkage to HIV services and improve socio-economic outcomes; (2) the implementation of systematic mystery shopping tests to document instances of housing discrimination; (3) the development and implementation of a multi-prong communications campaign to increase knowledge about the signs of housing discrimination and community resources among young Black men who have sex with men (YBMSM); (4) the integration of HIV/STI services and lesbian, gay, bisexual, and trans (LGBT)-inclusive events on Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs); and (5) the development of a safe space for YBMSM. A multi-method approach was used to evaluate the outcomes of the different interventions. RESULTS: The majority (62%) of participants living with HIV were linked to HIV care and 49% had achieved viral suppression. More than 40% of participants were employed during the project. Thirty-seven percent (37%) of the mystery shopping tests showed definite or possible signs of housing discrimination. The housing campaign's duration was limited with unknown long-term impact among YBMSM. Fifteen cases of syphilis were identified during two HBCU events. A safe space was specifically created for YBMSM at a community-based organization. CONCLUSION: Multi-component holistic health interventions are needed to improve HIV outcomes and curb the high HIV rates among young Black men, particularly YBMSM in the United States and the Deep South.