Beyond Disease Intervention: Exploring an Expanded Role for Partner Services in the MATRix-NC Demonstration Project.

BACKGROUND: Disease intervention specialists (DIS) provide partner services for sexually transmitted infections (STIs). We assessed an expansion of DIS services for clients with HIV and/or syphilis, and contacts within their social and sexual networks. METHODS: Black and Latinx cisgender men and transgender women who have sex with men diagnosed with HIV and/or syphilis in 4 urban North Carolina counties were referred to designated DIS, who were trained to recruit clients as "seeds" for chain-referral sampling of sociosexual network "peers." All received HIV/STI testing and care; referrals for preexposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and social, behavioral, and non-STI medical services were offered. Participants completed baseline, 1-month, and 3-month computerized surveys. RESULTS: Of 213 cases referred to DIS from May 2018 to February 2020, 42 seeds (25 with syphilis, 17 with HIV) and 50 peers participated. Median age was 27 years; 93% were Black and 86% were cisgender men. Most peers came from seeds' social networks: 66% were friends, 20% were relatives, and 38% were cisgender women. Incomes were low, 41% were uninsured, and 10% experienced recent homelessness. More seeds than peers had baseline PrEP awareness; attitudes were favorable, but utilization was poor. Thirty-seven participants were referred for PrEP 50 times; 17 (46%) accessed PrEP by month 3. Thirty-nine participants received 129 non-PrEP referrals, most commonly for housing assistance, primary care, Medicaid navigation, and food insecurity. CONCLUSIONS: Chain-referral sampling from partner services clients allowed DIS to access persons with significant medical and social service needs, demonstrating that DIS can support marginalized communities beyond STI intervention.

Hand hygiene during the COVID-19 pandemic among people experiencing homelessness-Atlanta, Georgia, 2020.

People experiencing homelessness are at risk for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and may experience barriers to hand hygiene, a primary recommendation for COVID-19 prevention. We conducted in-depth interviews with 51 people experiencing sheltered and unsheltered homelessness in Atlanta, Georgia during May 2020 to August 2020 to (1) describe challenges and opportunities related to hand hygiene and (2) assess hand hygiene communication preferences. The primary hand hygiene barrier reported was limited access to facilities and supplies, which has disproportionately impacted people experiencing unsheltered homelessness. This lack of access has reportedly been exacerbated during COVID-19 by the closure of public facilities and businesses. Increased access to housing and employment were identified as long-term solutions to improving hand hygiene. Overall, participants expressed a preference for access to facilities and supplies over hand hygiene communication materials.

Get In, Get Tested, Get Care: STD Services in Urban Urgent Care Centers.

BACKGROUND: Recent evidence indicates increased use of urgent care centers (UCCs) for sexually transmitted disease (STD) testing. We sought to learn more about STD services in UCCs in a large metropolitan area. METHOD: Using a modified rapid gap assessment approach, we interviewed staff from 19 UCCs in metro Atlanta, GA. The UCCs were identified using two online search engines. We focused on a 50-mile radius around Atlanta. We then excluded duplicates and closed UCCs, and the ones outside Atlanta's five contiguous counties. Using a prioritization process, we visited UCCs in or adjacent to areas with mid to high local STD morbidity, or facilities from which STD cases were reported the year prior. We collected checklist-based data on STD testing, treatment, and preventive services, as well as supportive services (eg, substance use/mental health referrals). Checklist data, notes, and open-ended questions were summarized and analyzed descriptively. RESULTS: All UCCs (n = 19) reported offering basic to comprehensive STD testing. Although most could treat on-site for chlamydia and gonorrhea, most relied on referrals, or prescriptions and "return to facility" practices to treat syphilis. Sources for STD information/management included the health department/Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, online medical sites, and electronic medical record embedded information. Challenges UCCs acknowledged included staying up-to-date with treatment guidance and laboratory reporting requirements, inadequate time for sexual risk reduction counseling, and linking patients with extended care needs (eg, HIV+ case management, supportive services), or following up with patients. CONCLUSIONS: Urgent cares are STD testing resources. Service availability varies, but opportunities exist to enhance STD services in UCC settings and in communities.

Efficacy of the Young Women's CoOp: An HIV Risk-Reduction Intervention for Substance-Using African-American Female Adolescents in the South.

HIV/sexually transmitted infection (STI) risk-reduction interventions are needed to address the complex risk behaviors among African-American female adolescents in disadvantaged communities in North Carolina. In a two-group randomized trial, we reached 237 sexually active, substance-using African-American female adolescents, to test a risk-reduction intervention, the Young Women's CoOp (YWC), relative to a nutrition control. In efficacy analyses adjusting for baseline condom use, at three-month follow-up participants in the YWC were significantly less likely to report sex without a condom at last sex relative to control. There were mixed findings for within-group differences over follow-up, underscoring the challenges for intervening with substance-using female youths.

Association between parent-adolescent communication about sex-related topics and HIV testing, United States. 2006-2013.

Adolescents need information about sex-related topics in order to reduce risk behavior and engage in healthy sexual decision-making. Parents have the potential to be an important source of this information. Using the 2006-2010 and 2011-2013 National Survey of Family Growth, we examined associations between parent-adolescent communication before age 18 about sex-related topics and HIV testing among respondents aged 18-24 that ever had sexual intercourse (women = 3893; men = 3359). Analyses showed that for both men and women, discussing how to prevent HIV/AIDS and how to use a condom with a parent before age 18 were positively associated with HIV testing. Among women only, discussions about methods of birth control, where to get birth control, and STDs were positively associated with HIV testing. Developing strategies and interventions to facilitate parent-adolescent communication about sex-related topics, particularly HIV prevention and condom use, may be important to increase HIV testing among young women and men.

Adaptation and National Dissemination of a Brief, Evidence-Based, HIV Prevention Intervention for High-Risk Men Who Have Sex with Men.

CDC's high-impact human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) prevention approach calls for targeting the most cost-effective and scalable interventions to populations of greatest need to reduce HIV incidence. CDC has funded research to adapt and demonstrate the efficacy of Personalized Cognitive Counseling (PCC) as an HIV prevention intervention. Project ECHO, based in San Francisco, California, during 2010-2012, involved an adaptation of PCC for HIV-negative episodic substance-using men who have sex with men (SUMSM) and a randomized trial to test its efficacy in reducing sexual and substance-use risk behaviors. Episodic substance use is the use of substances recreationally and less than weekly. PCC is a 30-minute to 50-minute counseling session that involves addressing self-justifications men use for engaging in risky sexual behavior despite knowing the potential for HIV infection. By exploring these justifications, participants become aware of the ways they make sexual decisions, become better prepared to realistically assess their risk for HIV during future risky situations, and make decisions to decrease their HIV risk. The findings of Project ECHO demonstrated the efficacy of PCC for reducing HIV-related substance-use risk behaviors. The study also demonstrated efficacy of PCC for reducing sexual risk behaviors among SUMSM screened as nondependent on targeted drug substances. CDC has identified PCC as a "best evidence" HIV behavioral intervention and supports its national dissemination. Several features of PCC enhance its feasibility of implementation: it is brief, delivered with HIV testing, relatively inexpensive, allows flexibility in counselor qualifications and delivery settings, and is individualized to each client. The original PCC and its adapted versions can contribute to reducing HIV-related health disparities among high-risk MSM, including substance users, by raising awareness of and promoting reductions in personal risk behaviors.

Gang membership and marijuana use among African American female adolescents in North Carolina.

The southeastern US sustains the highest high school dropout rates, and gangs persist in underserved communities. African American female adolescents who drop out of school and are gang members are at substantial risk of exposure to severe violence, physical abuse, and sexual exploitation. In this study of 237 female African American adolescents 16-19 years of age from North Carolina who dropped out or considered dropping out, 11% were current or past gang members. Adolescents who reported gang membership began smoking marijuana at a mean age of 13, whereas those who reported no gang membership began at a mean age of 15 years (P<0.001). The mean ages of first alcohol use were 14 years and 15 years for gang members and non-gang members, respectively (P=0.04). Problem alcohol use was high in both groups: 40% and 65% for non-gang and gang members, respectively (P=0.02). Controlling for frequent marijuana use and problem alcohol use, adolescents who reported gang membership were more likely than non-gang members to experience sexual abuse (odds ratio [OR] =2.60, 95% confidence interval [CI] [1.06, 6.40]), experience physical abuse (OR =7.33, 95% CI [2.90, 18.5]), report emotional abuse from their main partner (OR =3.55, 95% CI [1.44, 8.72]), run away from home (OR =4.65, 95% CI [1.90, 11.4]), get arrested (OR =2.61, 95% CI [1.05, 6.47]), and report violence in their neighborhood including murder (OR =3.27, 95% CI [1.35, 7.96]) and fights with weapons (OR =3.06, 95% CI [1.15, 8.11]). Gang members were less likely to receive emotional support (OR =0.89, 95% CI [0.81, 0.97]). These findings reinforce the urgent need to reach young African American women in disadvantaged communities affiliated with gangs to address the complexity of context and interconnected risk behaviors.

The influence of social determinants on sexual risk among out-of-school African American female adolescents.

Formative research was conducted to understand the social determinants of HIV risk among African American female adolescents as part of a systematic adaptation of an evidence-based behavioral HIV prevention intervention, the Women's CoOp. Semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted between November 2008 and April 2009 with 20 African American female adolescents aged 16-18 who reported engaging in sex, using alcohol or other drugs, and dropping out of school. All interviews were audio recorded, transcribed, and coded for key themes and emergent content patterns. The findings indicate that while female adolescents are knowledgeable about HIV and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs), myriad social factors relate to their level of risk. Interpersonal relationships, primarily with older boyfriends and friends, played a pivotal role in their decision-making regarding sex risk behavior, substance use, and educational attainment. A lack of viable employment opportunities, exacerbated by the lack of a high school education, resulted in some young women trading sex to make money. In addition, violence, victimization, and gang involvement are pervasive in their communities. Out-of-school African American female adolescents face a plethora of issues that are directly and indirectly related to their sex risk behaviors and consequently their HIV/STI risk. To reach a vulnerable population disproportionately affected by HIV and other STIs, these factors must be addressed in prevention interventions, when feasible. The findings were incorporated into the intervention adaptation that is currently being tested in a randomized controlled trial.