"We Take Care of Our Young, No Matter What," Experiences of Engagement in HIV Care Among Black Mothers Parenting Dependent Children in Southwestern Pennsylvania: A Retrospective Descriptive Qualitative Study.

ABSTRACT: This retrospective descriptive study sought to explore the lived experiences of Black mothers with HIV navigating HIV medical care while parenting dependent children. Six themes were generated from the semi-structured interviews conducted with mothers (N = 9) related to motherhood, interactions with health care systems and providers, coping, social support, HIV self-management, and HIV prevention. Findings suggested that supportive interpersonal relationships with HIV health care providers, HIV nondisclosure to family and friends, and social network support, inclusive of health care providers, were protective factors in achieving optimal treatment adherence and viral suppression. Findings may inform interventions for improving social support and reducing stigma in HIV care for Black mothers with HIV who are parenting dependent children.

Social Support-Seeking Strategies on Social Media at the Intersection of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer Identity, Race, and Ethnicity: Insights for Intervention From a Qualitative Study.

BACKGROUND: Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) individuals experience a disproportionately higher prevalence of mental health challenges when compared to their heterosexual and cisgender counterparts. Moreover, they exhibit increased engagement with social media platforms relative to their peers. Understanding the intersectional dynamics of their identities is crucial in elucidating effective and safe approaches to garnering social support through social media channels. This exploration holds significance for informing future research endeavors and shaping targeted interventions to address the unique mental health needs of LGBTQ+ individuals. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to explore the strategies used by Black, Hispanic, and non-Hispanic White LGBTQ+ young adults to acquire social support from social media. The study aimed to examine how these strategies may differ by race and ethnicity. METHODS: We conducted semistructured interviews with LGBTQ+ young adults aged between 18 and 30 years recruited in the United States from social media. Of 52 participants, 12 (23%) were Black, 12 (23%) were Hispanic, and 28 (54%) were non-Hispanic White. Thematic analysis was used to analyze the collected data. RESULTS: The analysis uncovered both divergent and convergent strategies among participants of different races and ethnicities. Black and Hispanic young adults exhibited a preference for connecting with individuals who shared similar identities, seeking safety and tailored advice. Conversely, non-Hispanic White participants demonstrated minimal preference for identity-based advice. Seeking support from anonymous sources emerged as a strategy to avoid unwanted disclosure among Hispanic participants. Furthermore, all participants emphasized the importance of content filtering with family members to cultivate positive and supportive social media experiences. CONCLUSIONS: This study sheds light on the strategies used by LGBTQ+ individuals of different racial and ethnic backgrounds to seek social support from social media platforms. The findings underscore the importance of considering race and ethnicity when examining social support-seeking behaviors on social media in LGBTQ+ populations. The identified strategies provide valuable insights for the development of interventions that aim to leverage social support from social media to benefit the mental health of Black, Hispanic, and non-Hispanic White LGBTQ+ young adults.

Protocol for a systematic review of substance use and misuse prevalence and associated factors among transgender and non-binary youth living in the USA.

BACKGROUND: Transgender and gender non-binary (TNB) youth living in the USA report elevated levels of substance use compared with their cisgender counterparts, with previous literature pointing to minority stressors as some of the factors that could facilitate such elevated levels. Yet, substance use and misuse prevalence and associated modifiable factors among TNB youth are not fully known. The current paper details the protocol for a systematic review aimed at (1) identifying substance use and misuse prevalence among TNB youth (ages <25) and related demographic disparities (based on racial, ethnic and gender identity, and sexual orientation), (2) examining factors associated with substance use and misuse among TNB youth and (3) examining protective factors against substance use and misuse among TNB youth. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: Systematic searches will be conducted across four databases: PubMed, LGBTQ+ Source, CINAHL and PsycInfo to identify quantitative, qualitative and mixed-methods peer-reviewed research publications. An exhaustive list of keywords and corresponding MeSH (Medical Subject Headings) terms representing the concepts of 'TNB' (the population of interest) and 'substance use and misuse' (outcome) will be employed. Identified records will be initially screened via a review of titles and abstracts. Full text of the remaining records will be reviewed corresponding to the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Extracted data will be synthesised in table and narrative format. A meta-analysis will be considered contingent on the existence of sufficient data. Methodological quality and risk of bias of studies will be assessed. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: This review does not require approval from the Institutional Review Board as it involves no interactions with human subjects. We will disseminate our findings via peer-reviewed manuscripts and academic conference presentations. PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER: CRD42023394985.

Effects of internalised racism and internalised homophobia on sexual behaviours among black gay and bisexual men in the USA: a systematic review protocol.

INTRODUCTION: Black gay and bisexual men are overburdened by HIV in the USA. While the socioecological model has been applied to understand potential mechanisms of HIV acquisition among black gay and bisexual men, there is mixed evidence on the impact of internalised stigma on HIV risk among this population. This systematic review protocol paper outlines the systematic review being conducted to determine the relationship between internalised racism, internalised homophobia and engagement in sexual behaviour, which puts individuals at risk for HIV infection. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: For the review, we will conduct a systematic review of the literature, summarise and critique published scholarly literature on the associations between forms of internalised stigma and sexual behaviours among black gay and bisexual men. We will conduct a systematic search of published qualitative and quantitative research studies published during and after 1993. The searches will be conducted in Ovid Medline, Ovid APA PsycInfo and EBSCO SocINDEX databases. Studies will be included if they were conducted in the USA, with samples that comprised African American/black cisgender gay, bisexual, queer and other men who have sex with men, measured internalised racism and/or internalised homophobia, and assessed sexual behaviour risk for HIV acquisition. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: No ethical approval will be required for this review. We will report our findings using the guidelines outlined by the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses. Findings of this review may offer new opportunities to study internalised mechanisms impacting outcomes and to identify research gaps and spur additional queries in the group most disproportionately impacted by HIV.

Ethnoracial Differences in Past Year Victimization Rates for a National Sample of Gender and Sexual Minority Adolescents.

Little research exists on victimization for gender and sexual minority adolescents (GSMA) of color. This study identifies differences in past year rates across six victimization types for GSMA by ethnoracial identification. Descriptive analyses were conducted on 1,177 GSMA (14-19 years old), with victimization types stratified by ethnoracial identification and multiple logit regression was used to identify differences. Compared to White (non-Hispanic) peers, Black (non-Hispanic) GSMA reported lower victimization rates across multiple categories with two exceptions. Higher rates of racially biased physical assault were noted among Black (non-Hispanic) and bi/multi-ethnoracial GSMA. Higher rates of witnessing community violence were reported by Black (non-Hispanic), bi/multi-ethnoracial, and Latinx GSMA. To address GSMA's needs, we need to understand the differential risk so that our interventions are responsive to the diversity within this community.

Getting to Zero in Allegheny County: Implementation of a Collective Impact Model to Achieve Ending the HIV Epidemic Objectives.

BACKGROUND: Allegheny County Pennsylvania has the second highest HIV prevalence in the state. In the county, racial and ethnic minorities are disproportionately impacted by HIV. METHODS: In responses to HIV epidemic in the Allegheny County, AIDS Free Pittsburgh was created with the goals of reducing new HIV infections by 75% and declaring Allegheny County AIDS free (no new AIDS cases) by 2020. AIDS Free Pittsburgh uses a collective impact framework in which partners pledge to collect and share data uniformly across health systems, to co-organize events for provider and community education, and to enhance access to quality healthcare by developing resources and referral networks. RESULTS: Since its inception, there has been nearly a 43% decrease in new HIV cases, a 23% decrease in new AIDS cases, and other promising trends related to HIV testing, preexposure prophylaxis, linkage to care, and viral load suppression for people living with HIV in Allegheny County. CONCLUSIONS: This article provides a detailed description of the community-level project, the activities conducted by collective group, a summary of project outcomes, and lessons learned for replicating this project in other midsized, mid-HIV incidence jurisdictions.

A Longitudinal Study on the Influence of Sibling Support and HIV Testing Among Black Youth.

BACKGROUND: Healthy familial relationships have been noted as protective against HIV infection among the Black youth. Previous studies have indicated that sibling relationships are important over the life course and may have a significant influence on health behaviors and health promotion. However, the specific interaction between sibling relationships, HIV prevention, and HIV testing is underexplored. This longitudinal study aims to examine the role of sibling relationships, healthcare providers, and other contextual factors on HIV testing. METHODS: This study was conducted via the secondary analysis of data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health evaluating the health of adolescents. The analysis included Black youth from Wave 1 and 3 (N = 509) with a mean age of 16 years. A multinomial analysis evaluated the association of sibling relationships on HIV testing. RESULTS: In Wave 1, youth who reported having love for their sibling were 1.90 (p < .001) times more likely to test for HIV infection than those who reported no love for their sibling. In Wave 1 and 3, the youth who reported no sibling support was 89% (p < .001) less likely to get tested for HIV more than once. CONCLUSION: This study's findings show that sibling relationships have a significant positive influence on HIV testing among Black youth, and they are a protective factor against HIV transmission. These findings are essential in structuring HIV testing programs and interventions tailored to Black youth.

Implementation of Client-Centered Care Coordination for HIV Prevention with Black Men Who Have Sex with Men: Activities, Personnel Costs, and Outcomes-HPTN 073.

BACKGROUND: Black men who have sex with men (MSM) experience disproportionate rates of HIV infection in the USA, despite being no more likely to engage in sexual risk behaviors than other MSM racial/ethnic groups. HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) has been shown to reduce risk of HIV acquisition; however, rates of PrEP use among Black MSM remain low. Clinical, psychosocial, and structural factors have been shown to impact PrEP use and adherence among Black MSM. Care coordination of HIV prevention services has the potential to improve PrEP use and adherence for Black MSM, as it has been shown to improve HIV-related care outcomes among people living with HIV. METHODS: Client-centered care coordination (C4) is a multi-level intervention designed to address clinical, psychosocial, and structural barriers to HIV prevention services for Black MSM within HPTN 073, a PrEP demonstration project among Black MSM in three cities in the USA. The current study examined the implementation process of C4, specifically investigating the activities, cost, time, and outcomes associated with the C4 intervention. RESULTS: On average, participants engaged in five care coordination encounters. The vast majority of care coordination activities were conducted by counselors, averaging 30 min per encounter. The cost of care coordination was relatively low with a mean cost of $8.70 per client encounter. CONCLUSION: Although client-centered care coordination was initially implemented in well-resourced communities with robust HIV research and service infrastructure, our findings suggest that C4 can be successfully implemented in resource constrained communities.

"Take It Out on the Floor": Experiences of Violence Among Black LGBT House and Ball Community Youth in a Rust Belt City.

Black, lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT), individuals experience higher rates of violent victimization compared to their cisgender heterosexual counterparts over their life course. Among Black LGBT people, witnessing and experiencing violence have been related to poor health outcomes, including depression, risky sexual behavior, substance use, and lower engagement in healthcare services. We engaged in research to better understand the effects of violence experienced by the Black LGBT youth community. We conducted a qualitative, phenomenological study focused on the causes of violence occurring in the lives of Black LGBT youth engaged in a recreation-based community health program. The study consisted of four focus groups with Black LGBT youth (N = 24) and in-depth individual interviews with medical and social service providers who work with Black LGBT youth (N = 4). Data analysis presented three themes: (1) causes of violence, (2) the context of intracommunity violence, and (3) solutions to violence. The first theme describes the reasoning, motivation, or explanation for violence experienced by the Black LGBT youth community. The second theme, the context of intracommunity violence, describes how violence occurs specifically within Black LGBT young adult communities. The third theme, solutions to violence, describes the recommendations for addressing, reducing, and/or eliminating violence within the Black LGBT youth community. Our findings highlight the need for safe spaces, culturally-relevant services, and trusted figures for Black LGBT young adults, which can serve as mechanisms for mitigating violence.

Assessing the Influence of Child Sexual Behavior on Depression among Black SMM in the Southeastern United States.

Limited studies have examined the associations between child sexual abuse (CSA) and depression among Black sexual minority men (SMM) in the Southeastern United States (US). As, such, the current study examined the critical gap in understanding the impact of CSA on Black SMM's mental health. Specifically, we tested the associations between contextual CSA factors and depression among a large population-based sample of Black SMM living in two cities in the Southern US. Data were obtained from the MARI Study, a sample of Black SMM ages 18-66 years, recruited from the Jackson, MS and Atlanta, GA metropolitan areas (n = 507). Depression was assessed using the 9-item CES-D scale. We conducted multivariable regression analyses to examine the association between depression with history of CSA and other child sexual-related variables (i.e., age of perpetrator and age of sexual abuse), controlling for key confounders. Our results indicated that CSA (ß = 0.14, p < 0.001) was positively associated with depression. Our results also indicated that Black SMM who reported being sexually abused at the ages of 6 to 10 (ß = 0.30, p < 0.01) and 16 to 18 (ß = 0.25, p < 0.05) were positively associated with depression. These findings suggest that there is a need to provide culturally and safe mental health services in the Southeastern US for CSA survivors.

Optimizing PrEP Continuance: A Secondary Analysis Examining Perceived Autonomy Support and Care Coordination Quality among Black MSM in HPTN 073.

At the end of year 2018, it was estimated that in the United States over 1 million people were living with HIV. Although Black/African American individuals comprise an estimated 13.4% of the US population, as of 2019, they represented an estimated 42% of all new HIV diagnoses in 2018. PrEP use among Black men who have sex with men has not reached levels sufficient to have a population impact on HIV incidence. The purpose of this study was to examine whether high perceived autonomy support and care coordination quality were associated with PrEP continuation. Secondary analyses were conducted on data with 226 Black MSM in three US cities. Participants who were PrEP users and scored higher on autonomy support at week 8 were significantly more likely to continue PrEP (OR 1.48; 95% CI 1.04-2.11). Perception of coordination quality did not differ between PrEP users and non-users at any of the visits. Although coordination quality was not statistically significant, greater than half of PrEP users and non-PrEP users utilized the C4 services. Addressing social, individual, and structural barriers to PrEP may benefit Black MSM irrespective of their PrEP use.

Associations in preventive sexual health service utilization and pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) interest among young Black women in the United States, 2018.

Despite declines in HIV prevalence among all U.S. women, HIV remains a serious concern for Black women. PrEP is an effective biomedical intervention and has high acceptability among Black women. Therefore, offering PrEP, in addition to screening and testing for STI/HIV consistently, can reduce HIV risk among this population. We examine the associations of preventive sexual health service utilization (PSHSU) and PrEP interest among young Black women (YBW) (N = 209) in the United States in 2018. YBW, ages 18-25, completed a self-administered questionnaire, assessing sexual risk and prevention behaviors, HIV/STI testing, and PrEP interest. More than half of YBW were aware of PrEP and its benefits. YBW, who received an HIV test within the past three to six months, had higher odds of PrEP interest. The proportion of YBW who reported being interested in PrEP did not differ by PSHSU. Active contraceptive use was associated with PrEP interest. The results suggest YBW engage in preventive sexual health services, including HIV/STI testing, reproductive health, and sexual health behavioral counseling. Additional efforts should be made to normalize PrEP education for heterosexual, cisgender women at student health centers on college and university campuses, and other venues outside of traditional HIV/STI testing facilities.

A systematic review of the engagement with social media-delivered interventions for improving health outcomes among sexual and gender minorities.

BACKGROUND: Sexual and gender minority (SGM) persons face a number of physical and mental health disparities closely linked to discrimination, social stigma, and victimization. Despite the acceptability and increasing number of digital health interventions focused on improving health outcomes among SGM people, there is a lack of reviews summarizing whether and how researchers assess engagement with social media-delivered health interventions for this group. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this systematic review was to synthesize and critique the evidence on evaluation of engagement with social media-delivered interventions for improving health outcomes among SGM persons. METHODS: We conducted a literature search for studies published between January 2003 and June 2020 using 4 electronic databases. Articles were included if they were peer-reviewed, in English language, assessed engagement with a social media-delivered health intervention for improving health outcomes among sexual and gender minorities. A minimum of two authors independently extracted data from each study using an a priori developed abstraction form. We assessed quality of data reporting using the CONSORT extension for pilot and feasibility studies and CONSORT statement parallel group randomized trials. RESULTS: We included 18 articles in the review; 15 were feasibility studies and 3 were efficacy or effectiveness randomized trials. The quality of data reporting varied considerably. The vast majority of articles focused on improving HIV-related outcomes among men who have sex with men. Only three studies recruited cisgender women and/or transgender persons. We found heterogeneity in how engagement was defined and assessed. Intervention usage from social media data was the most frequently used engagement measure. CONCLUSION: In addition to the heterogeneity in defining and assessing engagement, we found that the focus of assessment was often on measures of intervention usage only. More purposeful recruitment is needed to learn about whether, how, and why different SGM groups engage with social media-interventions. This leaves significant room for future research to expand evaluation criteria for cognitive and emotional aspects of intervention engagement in order to develop effective and tailored social media-delivered interventions for SGM people. Our findings also support the need for developing and testing social media-delivered interventions that focus on improving mental health and outcomes related to chronic health conditions among SGM persons.

The Associations of HIV Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis Interest and Sexual Risk Behaviors Among Young Black Women.

The uptake of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is low among young Black cisgender heterosexual women, although this subgroup faces a higher burden of new HIV diagnoses. This study explored the association between sexual risk and prevention behaviors, and oral PrEP and vaginal PrEP ring interest among young Black women (YBW). A sample of YBW (N = 208) 18-25 years of age completed a self-administered questionnaire assessing sexual risk and prevention behaviors, HIV and sexually transmitted infection (STI) testing, and PrEP interest from June to December 2018. Results revealed that 103 YBW were interested in taking oral or vaginal PrEP, with 43% interested in oral PrEP use only, 28% interested in vaginal PrEP use only, and 29% interested in both oral and vaginal PrEP use. Logistic regressions revealed that YBW who had sex in the last 1-4 weeks or 3-6 months had lower odds of being interested in oral PrEP and YBW who had sex in the last 1-4 weeks had lower odds of being interested in vaginal PrEP compared with those whose last sexual encounter occurred in the last week. A large percentage of our sample was unaware of PrEP at the time of survey administration, but after learning about PrEP became more interested in potential PrEP use. This indicates that more education about the benefits of PrEP coupled with harm reduction counseling to lower their risk of STI and HIV infections is necessary to increase PrEP interest among YBW.

Characterizing Biomedical HIV Prevention Awareness and Use Among Black Transgender Women in the United States.

Black transgender women (BTW) in the United States experience disproportionate rates of HIV despite biomedical prevention interventions such as pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and non-occupational post-exposure prophylaxis (nPEP). Using a sample of 490 BTW collected from 2014 to 2017, bivariate, multivariable, and multinomial analyses were conducted to determine factors associated with awareness and use of PrEP and nPEP. BTW living with HIV were more aware of PrEP than HIV-negative BTW. Structural, demographic, and trans-specific factors (e.g., experiences of homelessness, violence, and current hormone use) related to HIV risk were associated with PrEP and nPEP awareness. PrEP use was associated with behavioral HIV risks (e.g., STI diagnosis, having an HIV-positive partner, and needle-sharing) and may demonstrate risk recognition among BTW. Knowing someone using PrEP was significantly positively associated with PrEP use. Development of guidelines for PrEP and nPEP use for BTW should leverage the strengths of guidelines for other populations, while also acknowledging the unique risks for this population.

Experiences of Intimate Partner Violence Among Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender College Students: The Intersection of Gender, Race, and Sexual Orientation.

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) college students experience disproportionate rates of intimate partner violence (IPV) compared with their heterosexual and cisgender counterparts. Some studies report rates of IPV among lesbian, gay, and bisexual college students as high as 50%, and 9 times greater among transgender students compared with their cisgender peers. Few studies have investigated the impact of intersectional identity on experiencing different types of IPV, such as emotional, physical, and sexual IPV. The present study utilized the National College Health Assessment-II from 2011 to 2013 (n = 88,975) to examine the differences in types of IPV among college students based on sexual orientation, gender identity, and the intersection of these two identities. Bivariate Rao-Scott chi-square and multilevel logistic regression was used to test the associations between sexual orientation, gender identity, and the intersection of these identities on multiple types of IPV. Adjusting for covariates and school clustering, LGBT college students had higher odds of reporting emotional IPV (adjusted odds ratios [AORs] = 1.34-1.99), physical IPV (AOR = 1.58-2.93), and sexual IPV (AOR = 1.41-6.18). Bisexual and transgender college students demonstrated the highest odds of reporting IPV based on sexual orientation and gender identity, respectively. Intersectional identities were not significantly associated with IPV. These findings demonstrate a need for clinicians working with college students to be aware of the disproportionate prevalence of IPV among LGBT individuals, particularly for those clients those who identify as bisexual and/or transgender and participate in continuing education related to these populations. Furthermore, these findings illustrate the need for additional intersectional research with LGBT college students.

Risk compensation in HIV PrEP adherence among Black men who have sex with men in HPTN 073 study.

While HIV infections among men who have sex men (MSM) have started to decline in the United States, Black MSM continue to experience disproportionate rates of HIV infection. The purpose of this secondary analysis is to examine risk perception and its influence on PrEP adherence among Black MSM from HPTN 073. Risk perception was measured using the adapted Perceived Vulnerability to HIV Scale. The associations between risk perception and PrEP adherence were tested using generalized estimation equation model for time-variant repeated measures. Risk perception was not significantly associated with PrEP adherence. These findings suggest an there was no risk compensation among PrEP users, and inconsistency in perceived risk for HIV. Future studies should investigate the rationale for long term adherence to PrEP among Black MSM.