Intersecting Stigma and the HIV Care Cascade: Qualitative Insights from Sex Workers, Men who have Sex with Men, and Transgender Women Living with HIV in Jamaica.

In Jamaica, stigma experiences of sex workers (SW), gay men and other men who have sex with men (MSM), and transgender women living with HIV remain understudied. To address this gap, we explored experiences of stigma and linkages with the HIV care cascade among key populations living with HIV in Jamaica, including cisgender women SW, MSM, and transgender women. This qualitative study involved n = 9 focus groups (FG), n = 1 FG per population living with HIV (SW, MSM, transgender women) in each of three sites (Kingston, St. Ann, Montego Bay). We also conducted key informant (KI) interviews. We applied thematic analysis informed by the Health Stigma and Discrimination (HSD) Framework. FG participants (n = 67) included SW (n = 18), MSM (n = 28), and trans women (n = 21); we interviewed n = 10 KI (n = 5 cisgender women, n = 5 cisgender men). Participant discussions revealed that stigma drivers included low HIV treatment literacy, notably misinformation about antiretroviral therapy (ART) benefits and HIV acquisition risks, and a lack of legal protection from discrimination. Stigma targets health (HIV) and intersecting social identities (sex work, LGBTQ identities, gender non-conformity, low socio-economic status). Stigma manifestations included enacted stigma in communities and families, and internalized stigma-including lateral violence. HIV care cascade impacts included reduced and/or delayed HIV care engagement and ART adherence challenges/disruptions. Participants discussed strategies to live positively with HIV, including ART adherence as stigma resistance; social support and solidarity; and accessing affirming institutional support. In addition to addressing intersecting stigma, future research and programing should bolster multi-level stigma-resistance strategies to live positively with HIV.

Tande nou gwonde! (Hear us roar!)- Youth perspectives of maternal near-misses: Protocol for a photovoice study of young childbearing people's perspectives of maternal near-misses in northwest Haiti.

INTRODUCTION: Globally, a shift is occurring to recognize the importance of young peoples' health and well-being, their unique health challenges, and the potential they hold as key drivers of change in their communities. In Haiti, one of the four leading causes of death for those 20-24 years old is pregnancy, childbirth, and the weeks after birth or at the end of a pregnancy. Important gaps remain in existing knowledge about youth perspectives of maternal health and well-being within their communities. Youth with lived experiences of maternal near-misses are well-positioned to contribute to the understanding of maternal health in their communities and their potential role in bringing about change. OBJECTIVES: To explore and understand youth perspectives of maternal near-miss experiences that occurred in a local healthcare facility or at home in rural Haiti. METHODS: We will conduct a qualitative, community-based participatory research study regarding maternal near-miss experiences to understand current challenges and identify solutions to improve community maternal health, specifically focused on youth maternal health. We will use Photovoice to seek an understanding of the lived experiences of youth maternal near-miss survivors. Participants will be from La Pointe, a Haitian community served by their local healthcare facility. We will undertake purposeful sampling to recruit approximately 20 female youth, aged 15-24 years. Data will be generated through photos, individual interviews and small group discussions (grouped by setting of near-miss experience). Data generation and analysis are expected to occur over a three-month period. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: Ethics approval will be sought from Centre Médical Béraca in La Pointe, Haiti, and from the Hamilton Integrated Research Ethics Board in Hamilton ON, Canada. We will involve community stakeholders, especially youth, in developing dissemination and knowledge mobilisation strategies. Our findings will be disseminated as an open access publication, be presented publicly, at conferences, and defended as part of a doctoral thesis.

Social-ecological factors associated with having a regular healthcare provider among lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender persons in Jamaica.

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people experience a multitude of barriers to healthcare access, particularly in highly stigmatising contexts, such as Jamaica. Access to a regular healthcare source can contribute to uptake of health knowledge and services. Yet social-ecological factors associated with access to a regular healthcare provider among LGBT persons in Jamaica are underexplored. We conducted a cross-sectional survey with LGBT persons in Jamaica to examine socio-demographic and social-ecological factors associated with having a regular healthcare provider. Nearly half (43.6%) of 911 participants reported having a regular healthcare provider. In multivariate analyses, socio-demographic factors (higher age; identifying as a cisgender sexual minority man or woman compared to a transgender woman) were associated with higher odds of having a regular healthcare provider. Socio-demographic (living in Ocho Rios or Montego Bay compared to Kingston), stigma/discrimination (a bad past healthcare experience), and structural factors (insufficient money for housing; reporting medication costs as a barrier; no health insurance) were associated with decreased odds of having a regular healthcare provider. Findings support a multi-level approach to understanding and addressing barriers to having a regular healthcare provider among LGBT people in Jamaica.

Vaccines for all? A rapid scoping review of COVID-19 vaccine access for Venezuelan migrants in Latin America.

INTRODUCTION: The entangled health and economic crises fueled by COVID-19 have exacerbated the challenges facing Venezuelan migrants. There are more than 5.6 million Venezuelan migrants globally and almost 80% reside throughout Latin America. Given the growing number of Venezuelan migrants and COVID-19 vulnerability, this rapid scoping review examined how Venezuelan migrants are considered in Latin American COVID-19 vaccination strategies. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We conducted a three-phased rapid scoping review of documents published until June 18, 2021: Peer-reviewed literature search yielded 142 results and 13 articles included in analysis; Gray literature screen resulted in 68 publications for full-text review and 37 were included; and official Ministry of Health policies in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru were reviewed. Guided by Latin American Social Medicine (LASM) approach, our analysis situates national COVID-19 vaccination policies within broader understandings of health and disease as affected by social and political conditions. RESULTS: Results revealed a heterogeneous and shifting policy landscape amid the COVID-19 pandemic which strongly juxtaposed calls to action evidenced in literature. Factors limiting COVID-19 vaccine access included: tensions around terminologies; ambiguous national and regional vaccine policies; and pervasive stigmatization of migrants. CONCLUSIONS: Findings presented underscore the extreme complexity and associated variability of providing access to COVID-19 vaccines for Venezuelan migrants across Latin America. By querying the timely question of how migrants and specifically Venezuelan migrants access vaccinations findings contribute to efforts to both more equitably respond to COVID-19 and prepare for future pandemics in the context of displaced populations. These are intersectional and evolving crises and attention must also be drawn to the magnitude of Venezuelan mass migration and the devastating impact of COVID-19 in the region. Integration of Venezuelan migrants into Latin American vaccination strategies is not only a matter of social justice, but also a pragmatic public health strategy necessary to stop COVID-19.

Pre and Post-exposure Prophylaxis Awareness and Acceptability Among Sex Workers in Jamaica: A Cross-Sectional Study.

The HIV prevention cascade is understudied among sex workers in Jamaica, where sex work and same sex practices are criminalized. We implemented a cross-sectional survey with cisgender women, transgender women, and cisgender men sex workers in Jamaica. We conducted multivariable logistic regression analyses to identify factors associated with PrEP and PEP awareness and acceptability. Participants (n = 340) included cisgender men (n = 124), transgender women (n = 101), and cisgender women (n = 115). PEP awareness was low (33.2%), yet acceptability was high (70.8%). In multivariable analyses, recent sexual violence, recent client violence, and sex work social cohesion were associated with PEP awareness and acceptability. One-third (32.7%) reported PrEP awareness, with high acceptability (80.2%). Relationship status and recent physical violence were associated with PrEP awareness and acceptability. In multivariable analyses, gender identity was not associated with differences in PEP/PrEP awareness/acceptability. Findings highlight the need to increase PEP and PrEP awareness and access among sex workers in Jamaica.

Contesting everyday violence: Resilience pathways of gay and transgender youth in Peru.

Within Peru, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex, and queer/questioning (LGBTIQ) groups experience significant levels of violence, particularly LGBTIQ youth. This study explored youth responses to violence in two cities: Lima and Ayacucho. We sought to formulate key factors facilitating LGBTIQ youth resilience to inform local practice and policy. Focus groups were conducted with youth that self-identified as gay and transgender. We used thematic analysis to identify both inductive and deductive themes. Deductive themes were driven from resilience and structural violence theories. Structural and direct violence was reported by all youth with differences regarding the role of self, place and people in their resilience pathways. Despite experiencing everyday violence, LGBTIQ youth participants displayed remarkable resilience, though the resilience strategies and experiences of violence were distinctive for each group. Transgender youth relied more on their collective rather than individual resilience. In contrast, gay youth revealed a high level of individual resilience. Overall, the participants exhibited a fluidity of resilient and resistant behaviours toward violence. The use of place theory and a social resistance framework is suggested for interventions that effectively honour and foster the courageous resilience of LGBTIQ youth and effectively equalize their opportunities.

Exploring associations between place of sex work and HIV vulnerabilities among sex workers in Jamaica.

Sex workers' work environment shapes HIV transmission dynamics. We applied the Structural HIV Determinants Framework to examine associations between the work environment of public spaces and HIV infection risks among sex workers in Jamaica, considering macro-structural (police harassment) and intrapersonal (depression) pathways. We implemented a cross-sectional survey with sex workers in Kingston, Ocho Rios, Montego Bay, and nearby towns in Jamaica. We conducted structural equation modeling to examine direct and indirect associations between place of sex work on HIV serostatus via mediators of police harassment and depression. Results indicate that public place of sex work had a significant indirect effect on self-reported HIV-positive serostatus; depression and police harassment mediated this relationship. Findings suggest that in contexts of criminalization, the sex work environment can elevate exposure to police violence and depression, in turn increasing HIV vulnerabilities.

Pathways from Police, Intimate Partner, and Client Violence to Condom Use Outcomes among Sex Workers in Jamaica.

BACKGROUND: Violence reduces sex workers' ability to enforce consistent condom use. Less is known of violence and condom use among gender diverse sex workers in Jamaica, where both sex work and same-sex practices are criminalized. We examined pathways from violence to consistent condom use among sex workers in Jamaica. METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional survey with a peer-driven sample of sex workers (n = 340: n = 124 cisgender men, n = 115 cisgender women, n = 101 transgender women) in Kingston, Ocho Rios, and Montego Bay, Jamaica. We conducted structural equation modeling using weighted least square estimation methods to test the direct effects of police harassment (ever), intimate partner violence (IPV) (ever), and recent (past 6-month) client violence on consistent condom use, and indirect effects via condom use self-efficacy, adjusting for socio-demographic factors. Moderation analysis was conducted to estimate the effect of binge drinking on condom use self-efficacy. We conducted a second SEM taking into consideration measurement invariance to test gender differences. RESULTS: Over half of participants reported police harassment, half intimate partner violence, and one-third client violence. Overall, the direct path from police harassment to consistent condom use was significant. Condom use self-efficacy mediated associations between client violence and IPV with consistent condom use. Binge drinking moderated the association between client violence and condom use self-efficacy. There were gender differences in these pathways. CONCLUSIONS: Violence has direct and indirect effects on condom use outcomes among sex workers in Jamaica. Multilevel, gender-tailored interventions at policy, police, and community levels can promote sex workers' health and human rights.

Adapting the psychological mediation framework for cisgender and transgender sexual minorities in Jamaica: Implications from latent versus observed variable approaches to sexual stigma.

RATIONALE: Sexual minorities' mental health disparities are produced in larger contexts of sexual stigma. There is limited understanding of pathways between sexual stigma dimensions (e.g., enacted, perceived, internalized), psychological processes, and depression. OBJECTIVE: We aimed to test the psychological mediation framework among transgender and cisgender sexual minorities in Kingston, Montego Bay, and Ocho Rios, Jamaica. METHODS: We conducted structural equation modeling using maximum likelihood estimation to examine direct and indirect pathways from sexual stigma to recent (past 2-week) depressive symptoms via mediators of resilient coping, social support quantity, and empowerment, and the moderation effect of social support quality. RESULTS: Model 1 used a latent sexual stigma construct (indicators: enacted, perceived, and internalized stigma dimensions). Model 2 examined sexual stigma dimensions (enacted, perceived, internalized) as observed variables. Among participants (n=871; mean age: 25.5, SD: 5.4), 90.82% reported recent depressive symptoms. Both models fit the data well. In Model 1, the sexual stigma latent construct had a significant direct effect on depressive symptoms; social support quantity and resilient coping were partial mediators. In Model 2, enacted sexual stigma had a significant direct effect on depressive symptoms. Internalized sexual stigma had a significant indirect effect via social support quantity, resilient coping, and empowerment. Perceived sexual stigma had an indirect effect on depressive symptoms via empowerment. Social support quality moderated the relationship between: internalized stigma and empowerment, empowerment and resilient coping, social support quantity and resilient coping, and resilient coping and depressive symptoms. CONCLUSION: Findings suggest the importance of considering the synergistic effect of multiple sexual stigma dimensions on depression; exploring different sexual stigma dimensions to inform tailored stigma reduction and stigma coping interventions; andaddressing coping (e.g., resilience), social isolation (e.g., social support quantity/quality), and cognitive (e.g., empowerment) factors to mitigate the impacts of sexual stigma on depression among sexual minorities.

Syndemic Experiences, Protective Factors, and HIV Vulnerabilities Among Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Persons in Jamaica.

Syndemics approaches explore the convergence of psychosocial factors that elevate HIV vulnerabilities. Less research has explored syndemics among lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) persons in contexts where criminalization has downstream impacts on LGBT discrimination, such as Jamaica. We implemented a cross-sectional survey with LGBT persons (n = 911) in Jamaica. We conducted structural equation modeling to examine direct and indirect effects of a latent syndemics construct (binge drinking, depressive symptoms, childhood/adult abuse) on HIV vulnerabilities (lifetime sex partners, perceived HIV risk, condom self-efficacy) and the mediating role of protective factors (social support, resilient coping). Direct paths from syndemics to lifetime sex partners, perceived HIV risk, and condom self-efficacy were significant. Resilient coping and social support partially mediated the association between syndemics and condom use self-efficacy. Resilient coping partially mediated the relationship between syndemics and lifetime sex partners. Interventions can target syndemic issues to reduce HIV vulnerabilities among Jamaican LGBT persons.

Navigating stigma, survival, and sex in contexts of social inequity among young transgender women and sexually diverse men in Kingston, Jamaica.

Social inequities, including stigma, criminalisation of same-sex practices, and poverty, elevate HIV exposure among young transgender women and sexually diverse men in Jamaica. Yet the ways transgender women and sexually diverse men in Jamaica navigate sex and HIV in contexts of social inequity are underexplored. The study objective was to explore experiences and perceptions of sexual decision-making and HIV risk among young (aged 18-30) sexually diverse men and transgender women in Kingston, Jamaica. We conducted a community-based qualitative study in Kingston that involved in-depth individual interviews (transgender women: n = 20; sexually diverse men: n = 20), 2 focus groups (transgender women: n = 8; sexually diverse men: n = 10) and 13 key informant interviews. Focus groups and interviews were digitally recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analysed with a thematic approach. Findings suggest that transgender women and sexually diverse men in Kingston are aware of, and managing survival challenges and HIV risks in contexts of social inequity. Daily survival challenges include stigma and a lack of human rights protections that contributed to barriers to employment, housing, healthcare, education, and exposure to violence. Challenges maintaining sexual relationships included the need to hide for safety, often resulting in difficulties forming lasting relationships. These survival and relationship challenges converged to lower self-esteem and self-acceptance. In the face of these challenges, participants navigated sexual risk and pleasure. Findings provide insight into agency and sexual decision-making processes in contexts of social inequities. Findings can inform multi-level strategies to promote social equity, sexual health, and HIV prevention with young transgender women and sexually diverse men in Jamaica.

Contextualising sexual health practices among lesbian and bisexual women in Jamaica: a multi-methods study.

Limited research has examined lesbian and bisexual women's sexual health practices in the Caribbean, where lesbian and bisexual women experience sexual stigma that may reduce sexual healthcare utilisation. We conducted a sequential multi-method research study, including semi-structured individual interviews (n = 20) and a focus group (n = 5) followed by a cross-sectional survey (n = 205) with lesbian and bisexual women in Kingston, Montego Bay, and Ocho Rios, Jamaica. Binary logistic analyses and ordinal logistic regression were conducted to estimate the odds ratios for social-ecological factors associated with lifetime STI testing, sex work involvement, and the last time of STI testing. Over half of participants reported a lifetime STI test and of these, 6.1% reported an STI diagnosis. One-fifth of the sample reported ever selling sex. Directed content analysis of women's narratives highlighted that stigma and discrimination from healthcare providers, in combination with low perceived STI risk, limited STI testing access and safer sex practices. Participants described how safer sex self-efficacy increased their safer sex practices. Quantitative results revealed that a longer time since last STI test was positively associated with depression, sexual stigma, and forced sex, and negatively associated with residential location, perceived STI risk, safer sex self-efficacy, and LGBT connectedness. Selling sex was associated with perceived STI risk, relationship status, sexual stigma, food insecurity, and forced sex. Sexual health practices among lesbian and bisexual women in Jamaica are associated with intrapersonal, interpersonal, and structural factors, underscoring the urgent need for multi-level interventions to improve sexual health and advance sexual rights among lesbian and bisexual women in Jamaica.

Factors associated with sexually transmissible infection testing practices among men who have sex with men in Jamaica: results from a cross-sectional, tablet-based survey.

Background Men who have sex with men (MSM) are at elevated risk for sexually transmissible infection (STI) acquisition globally. Yet, limited research has explored STI testing practices among MSM in contexts where same-sex practices are criminalised, such as in Jamaica. METHODS: A cross-sectional, tablet-based survey with MSM in Kingston, Ocho Rios and Montego Bay, Jamaica, was conducted. Multivariable logistic regression analyses were conducted to determine the adjusted risk ratio for lifetime STI testing and lifetime STI diagnosis. Multinomial logistic regression analyses were conducted to determine the relative odds of having had an STI test 3-5 months ago and 6-12 months ago in comparison with <3 months ago. RESULTS: Three-quarters (74.8%) of the 556 participants reported receiving an STI test (44% <3 months ago; 32% 3-5 months ago; 13% 6-12 months ago; 10% >12 months ago); 12.1% reported ever receiving an STI diagnosis. In adjusted multivariable analyses, STI testing was associated with sociodemographic (education, location), individual (depression, perceived risk), social (relationship status, sexual stigma) and structural (healthcare provider access) factors. In multinomial analysis, reporting a less recent STI test (>3 months ago) versus <3 months ago was associated with increased likelihood of sexual stigma and food insecurity. Lifetime STI diagnosis was associated with sociodemographic (location), individual (HIV infection) and social (lower social support) factors. CONCLUSIONS: Findings document associations between structural factors and delayed timing of STI testing. Further research is necessary to explore how to address social ecological factors in sexual health interventions with MSM in Jamaica.

Pathways From Sexual Stigma to Inconsistent Condom Use and Condom Breakage and Slippage Among MSM in Jamaica.

BACKGROUND: HIV prevalence among men who have sex with men (MSM) in Jamaica, where same sex practices are criminalized, is among the Caribbean's highest. Sexual stigma, the devaluation, mistreatment, and reduced power afforded to sexual minorities, is a distal driver of HIV vulnerabilities. The mechanisms accounting for associations between sexual stigma and condom use outcomes are underexplored. We examined pathways from sexual stigma to condom use and condom breakage and/or slippage among MSM in Jamaica. METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional survey with a chain-referral sample of MSM (n = 556) in Kingston, Montego Bay, and Ocho Rios. Structural equation modeling using weighted least squares estimation methods was conducted to test the direct effects of sexual stigma on inconsistent condom use and condom breakage/slippage, and the indirect effects through depression, sexual abuse history, and condom use self-efficacy, adjusting for sociodemographic factors. RESULTS: One-fifth of participants (21%; 90/422) who had engaged in anal sex reported inconsistent condom use, and 38% (155/410) reported condom breakage/slippage during the previous 4 weeks. The relationship between sexual stigma and inconsistent condom use was mediated by the combination effect of sexual abuse history, condom use self-efficacy, and depression. The relationship between sexual stigma and condom breakage and slippage was mediated by the combination effect of condom use self-efficacy and sexual abuse history. CONCLUSIONS: Sexual stigma is associated with negative condom use outcomes in Jamaican MSM, mediated by psychosocial factors. Multilevel social ecological approaches to the HIV prevention cascade can inform interventions at individual, interpersonal, community, and systemic levels.

Factors Associated With Syphilis Testing and a History of Syphilis Infection Among a Sample of Transgender Women in Jamaica.

BACKGROUND: Globally, social inequalities contribute to elevated sexually transmitted infections (STIs) rates among transgender women. High syphilis prevalence has been documented among transgender women in Latin America. Little is known, however, of syphilis testing uptake among transgender women in Jamaica, where homosexuality is criminalized. The study objective was to understand factors associated with opting-in for syphilis testing and a syphilis infection history among transgender women in Jamaica. METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional tablet-based survey of 137 transgender women between March and November 2015 in Jamaica. Bivariate analyses were used to assess differences across sociodemographic, intrapersonal, interpersonal, and structural factors based on syphilis infection history. We conducted univariable and multivariable logistic regression to determine the odds ratio for opting-in for syphilis testing for all factors associated with testing uptake at a P value of less than 0.05 in bivariate analyses, controlling for sociodemographic characteristics. RESULTS: Among 137 participants, 83 (60.6%) opted in for syphilis screening and 8 (9.6%) had positive rapid test results. One quarter of participants (n = 26; 25.2%) reported being HIV positive. Opting-in for syphilis testing was associated with the following: 1 health (HIV-positive serostatus: adjusted odds ratio [AOR], 4.33; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.31-14.26), 1 intrapersonal (perceived STI risk: AOR, 1.58; 95% CI, 1.04-2.40), 1 interpersonal (childhood sexual abuse: AOR, 2.80; 95% CI, 1.03-7.62), and 1 structural (incarceration: AOR, 0.27; 95% CI, 0.11-0.71) factor. CONCLUSIONS: This study identified factors (HIV-positive serostatus, perceived STI risk, childhood sexual abuse, no incarceration history) associated with syphilis testing uptake among transgender women. Findings can inform multilevel STI testing, prevention, and care strategies tailored for transgender women in Jamaica.

Social-ecological factors associated with selling sex among men who have sex with men in Jamaica: results from a cross-sectional tablet-based survey.

BACKGROUND: Globally, men who have sex with men (MSM) experience social marginalization and criminalization that increase HIV vulnerability by constraining access to HIV prevention and care. People who sell sex also experience criminalization, rights violations, and violence, which elevate HIV exposure. MSM who sell sex may experience intersectional stigma and intensified social marginalization, yet have largely been overlooked in epidemiological and social HIV research. In Jamaica, where same sex practices and sex work are criminalized, scant research has investigated sex selling among MSM, including associations with HIV vulnerability. OBJECTIVE: We aimed to examine social ecological factors associated with selling sex among MSM in Jamaica, including exchanging sex for money, shelter, food, transportation, or drugs/alcohol (past 12 months). METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional survey with a peer-driven sample of MSM in Kingston, Ocho Rios, and Montego Bay. Multivariable logistic regression analyses were conducted to estimate intrapersonal/individual, interpersonal/social, and structural factors associated with selling sex. RESULTS: Among 556 MSM, one-third (n = 182; 32.7%) reported selling sex. In the final multivariable model, correlates of selling sex included: individual/intrapersonal (lower safer sex self-efficacy [AOR: 0.85, 95% CI: 0.77, 0.94]), interpersonal/social (concurrent partnerships [AOR: 5.52, 95% CI: 1.56, 19.53], a higher need for social support [AOR: 1.08, 95% CI: 1.03, 1.12], lifetime forced sex [AOR: 2.74, 95% 1.65, 4.55]) and structural-level factors (sexual stigma [AOR: 1.09, 95% CI: 1.04, 1.15], food insecurity [AOR: 2.38, 95% CI: 1.41, 4.02], housing insecurity [AOR: 1.94, 95% CI: 1.16, 3.26], no regular healthcare provider [AOR: 2.72, 95% CI: 1.60, 4.64]). CONCLUSIONS: This study highlights social ecological correlates of selling sex among MSM in Jamaica, in particular elevated stigma and economic insecurity. Findings suggest that MSM in Jamaica who sell sex experience intensified social and structural HIV vulnerabilities that should be addressed in multi-level interventions to promote health and human rights.

Social-ecological factors associated with HIV infection among men who have sex with men in Jamaica.

In Jamaica, where homosexuality is criminalized, scant research has examined associations between sexual stigma and HIV infection. The study objective was to examine correlates of HIV infection among men who have sex with men (MSM) in Jamaica. We conducted a cross-sectional tablet-based survey with MSM in Jamaica using chain referral sampling. We assessed socio-demographic, individual, social, and structural factors associated with HIV infection. A logit-link model, fit using backwards-stepwise regression, was used to estimate a final multivariable model. Among 498 participants (median age: 24, interquartile range: 22-28), 67 (13.5%) were HIV-positive. In the multivariable model, HIV infection was associated with increased odds of socio-demographic (older age, odds ratio [OR]: 1.05, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.00-1.10]; residing in Kingston versus Ocho Rios [OR: 6.99, 95% CI 2.54-19.26]), individual (poor/fair versus excellent/good self-rated health [OR: 4.55, 95% CI: 1.81-11.42], sexually transmitted infection [STI] history [OR: 3.67, 95% CI: 1.61-8.38]), and structural (enacted sexual stigma [OR: 1.08, 95% CI: 1.01-1.15], having a health care provider [OR: 2.23, 95% CI: 1.06-4.66]) factors. This is among the first studies to demonstrate associations between sexual stigma and HIV infection in Jamaica. Findings underscore the need to integrate STI testing in the HIV care continuum and to address stigma and regional differences among MSM in Jamaica.

Barriers and facilitators to HIV testing among young men who have sex with men and transgender women in Kingston, Jamaica: a qualitative study.

INTRODUCTION: Young men who have sex with men (MSM) in Jamaica have the highest HIV prevalence in the Caribbean. There is little information about HIV among transgender women in Jamaica, who are also overrepresented in the Caribbean epidemic. HIV-related stigma is a barrier to HIV testing among Jamaica's general population, yet little is known of MSM and transgender women's HIV testing experiences in Jamaica. We explored perceived barriers and facilitators to HIV testing among young MSM and transgender women in Kingston, Jamaica. METHODS: We implemented a community-based research project in collaboration with HIV and lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) agencies in Kingston. We held two focus groups, one with young (aged 18-30 years) transgender women (n = 8) and one with young MSM (n = 10). We conducted 53 in-depth individual semi-structured interviews focused on HIV testing experiences with young MSM (n = 20), transgender women (n = 20), and community-based key informants (n = 13). We conducted thematic analysis to identify, analyze, and report themes. RESULTS: Participant narratives revealed social-ecological barriers and facilitators to HIV testing. Barriers included healthcare provider mistreatment, confidentiality breaches, and HIV-related stigma: these spanned interpersonal, community and structural levels. Healthcare provider discrimination and judgment in HIV testing provision presented barriers to accessing HIV services (e.g. treatment), and resulted in participants hiding their sexual orientation and/or gender identity. Confidentiality concerns included: clinic physical arrangements that segregated HIV testing from other health services, fear that healthcare providers would publicly disclose their status, and concerns at LGBT-friendly clinics that peers would discover they were getting tested. HIV-related stigma contributed to fear of testing HIV-positive; this intersected with the stigma of HIV as a "gay" disease. Participants also anticipated healthcare provider mistreatment if they tested HIV positive. Participants identified individual (belief in benefits of knowing one's HIV status), social (social support) and structural (accessible testing) factors that can increase HIV testing uptake. CONCLUSION: Findings suggest the need for policy and practice changes to enhance confidentiality and reduce discrimination in Jamaica. Interventions to challenge HIV-related and LGBT stigma in community and healthcare settings can enhance access to the HIV prevention cascade among MSM and transgender youth in Jamaica.

Factors associated with sex work involvement among transgender women in Jamaica: a cross-sectional study.

INTRODUCTION: Transgender women are disproportionately impacted by HIV. Transgender women involved in sex work may experience exacerbated violence, social exclusion, and HIV vulnerabilities, in comparison with non-sex work-involved transgender women. Scant research has investigated sex work among transgender women in the Caribbean, including Jamaica, where transgender women report pervasive violence. The study objective was to examine factors associated with sex work involvement among transgender women in Jamaica. METHODS: In 2015, we implemented a cross-sectional survey using modified peer-driven recruitment with transgender women in Kingston and Ocho Rios, Jamaica, in collaboration with a local community-based AIDS service organization. We conducted multivariable logistic regression analyses to identify factors associated with paid sex and transactional sex. Exchanging oral, anal or vaginal sex for money only was categorized as paid sex. Exchanging sex for survival needs (food, accommodation, transportation), drugs or alcohol, or for money along with survival needs and/or drugs/alcohol, was categorized as transactional sex. RESULTS: Among 137 transgender women (mean age: 24.0 [SD: 4.5]), two-thirds reported living in the Kingston area. Overall, 25.2% reported being HIV-positive. Approximately half (n = 71; 51.82%) reported any sex work involvement, this included sex in exchange for: money (n = 64; 47.06%); survival needs (n = 27; 19.85%); and drugs/alcohol (n = 6; 4.41%). In multivariable analyses, paid sex and transactional sex were both associated with: intrapersonal (depression), interpersonal (lower social support, forced sex, childhood sexual abuse, intimate partner violence, multiple partners/polyamory), and structural (transgender stigma, unemployment) factors. Participants reporting transactional sex also reported increased odds of incarceration perceived to be due to transgender identity, forced sex, homelessness, and lower resilience, in comparison with participants reporting no sex work involvement. CONCLUSION: Findings reveal high HIV infection rates among transgender women in Jamaica. Sex work-involved participants experience social and structural drivers of HIV, including violence, stigma, and unemployment. Transgender women involved in transactional sex also experience high rates of incarceration, forced sex and homelessness in comparison with non-sex workers. Taken together, these findings suggest that social ecological factors elevate HIV exposure among sex work-involved transgender women in Jamaica. Findings can inform interventions to advance human rights and HIV prevention and care cascades with transgender women in Jamaica.