Primary Care Guidance for Providers of Care for Persons With Human Immunodeficiency Virus: 2024 Update by the HIV Medicine Association of the Infectious Diseases Society of America.

Advances in antiretroviral therapy (ART) have made it possible for persons with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) to live a lifespan approaching that of people without HIV, without progressing to AIDS or transmitting HIV to sexual partners or infants. There is, therefore, increasing emphasis on maintaining health throughout the lifespan. To receive optimal medical care and achieve desired outcomes, persons with HIV must be consistently engaged in care and able to access uninterrupted treatment, including ART. Comprehensive evidence-based HIV primary care guidance is, therefore, more important than ever. Creating a patient-centered, stigma-free care environment is essential for care engagement. Barriers to care must be decreased at the societal, health system, clinic, and individual levels. As the population ages and noncommunicable diseases arise, providing comprehensive health care for persons with HIV becomes increasingly complex, including management of multiple comorbidities and the associated challenges of polypharmacy, while also attending to HIV-specific health concerns. Clinicians must address issues specific to preventive health, including cancer screening, providing recommended vaccinations, as well as promoting sexual health, including sexually transmitted infection diagnosis, treatment, and prevention. Clinicians also must address issues for specific populations, including persons of childbearing potential, including during preconception and pregnancy; children; adolescents; and transgender and gender-diverse individuals. This guidance from an expert panel of the HIV Medicine Association of the Infectious Diseases Society of America updates the previous 2020 HIV Primary Care Guidance.

The Role of the Multidisciplinary HIV Care Center in Mitigating Social Isolation Among Patients with HIV During the Early COVID-19 Pandemic.

As the COVID-19 pandemic began in 2020, significant public health mitigation efforts were vital to combat an unprecedented health crisis. These efforts, which involved social distancing and self-quarantine, likely worsened a public health crisis of social isolation and loneliness in the U.S., particularly among people with HIV (PWH). Multidisciplinary HIV care centers, which served as the main source of clinical care for PWH and in some cases the only point of social contact, faced evolving dynamics of in-person visits during the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as a shift to telehealth services. Using in-depth interviews, we explored the role that multidisciplinary HIV care centers and providers played in the experience of social isolation among PWH in New York City. We recruited participants (n = 30) from a multidisciplinary HIV care center in NYC between October 2020 and June 2021. We conducted semi-structured interviews to understand the specific domains of social isolation that were mitigated. In this cohort, the major theme that drove both in-person and telehealth care continuity was the strength of the patient-provider relationship. We found that participants saw members of the HIV care center as part of their social network, and providers served both as a source of emotional support and provided important social resources and benefits. Thus, in times of heightened social isolation, HIV care centers can play a critical role in providing social support in addition to clinical care.

HIV Outcomes and Intervention Experiences of Enlaces Por La Salud: A Personal Health Navigation Intervention Informed by the Transnational Framework.

Latinos in the United States are disproportionately affected by HIV and experience sub-optimal levels of viral suppression. Enlaces Por La Salud is an individual-level intervention implemented by personal health navigators and guided by the transnational framework to improve HIV care outcomes among newly diagnosed and out-of-care Mexican and Mexican American men and transgender women in North Carolina. The purpose of this study was to assess: (1) changes in HIV care and treatment outcomes among Enlaces participants and (2) intervention engagement and experiences. Ninety-one participants were recruited between October 2014 and August 2017 for a single-arm, mixed-methods design including surveys at baseline, 6 and 12 months and qualitative in-depth interviews immediately following the intervention with an embedded cohort (n = 19). Mean participant age was 36.8 years and most identified as cisgender male (90%). Participants were significantly more likely to have an undetectable viral load at baseline (18%) compared to 6-months (78%) (p < .001). Outcomes were sustained but not significantly increased from 6 to 12 months. Intervention engagement was high with 81% completing all six intervention sessions. In qualitative interviews, participants emphasized the importance of their relationship with the personal health navigators, who provided information, instrumental, and emotional support. A person-centered intervention guided by the lived experience of migration could be an effective way to support Latinos with HIV from diverse countries of origin to achieve viral suppression and improve overall wellbeing.

Differential Associations of Depressive Symptomology to HIV Care Engagement Among Young Black Sexual Minority Men with HIV (YBSMM+) in the US South: A Multi-Group Analysis of Mood, Intimate Partner Violence, and Alcohol Use.

Young Black Sexual Minority Men with HIV (YBSMM+) in the US South encounter multiple socio-structural challenges that contribute to disproportionately poor HIV-related outcomes across the care continuum. Depression, anxiety, intimate partner violence (IPV), and alcohol use are prominent factors that negatively impact engagement with HIV care. Syndemic theory posits that these multiple factors interact synergistically to promote poor outcomes; however, depression itself is highly heterogeneous in presentation, which may pose issues when examining associations to HIV care engagement. This study sought to better understand the associations of specific depressive symptomology subtypes, generalized anxiety, experienced IPV, and alcohol use on HIV care engagement for YBSMM+. Results showed that interpersonally oriented depressive symptomatology was associated with increased HIV care engagement among YBSMM + who abstained from alcohol. On the other hand, among YBSMM + who frequently binge drank, combined negative affect and somatic components of depressive symptomatology and frequency of IPV experiences were associated with decreased HIV care engagement while generalized anxiety was associated with increased HIV care engagement. The findings suggest that the negative affect and somatic components of depression may be particularly salient for HIV care engagement among YBSMM + who binge drink frequently. Developing targeted interventions that address these specific conditions while accounting for the nuances of mood-based symptomatology could improve intervention efforts geared towards improving HIV care engagement among YBSMM+.

Interruptions in HIV and Behavioral Health Care for Criminal-Legal Involved People Living with HIV Following Implementation of Decarceration and Shelter in Place in San Francisco, California.

Decarceration policies, enacted for SARS-CoV-2 mitigation in carceral settings, potentially exacerbated barriers to care for people living with HIV (PWH) with criminal legal involvement (CLI) during Shelter-in-Place (SIP) by limiting opportunities for engagement in provisions of HIV and behavioral health care. We compared health care engagement for PWH with CLI in San Francisco, California before and after decarceration and SIP using interrupted time series analyses. Administrative data identified PWH booked at the San Francisco County Jail with at least one clinic encounter from 01/01/2018-03/31/2020 within the municipal health care network. Monthly proportions of HIV, substance use, psychiatric and acute care encounters before (05/01/2019-02/29/2020) and after (03/01/2020-12/31/2020) SIP and decarceration were compared using Generalized Estimating Equation (GEE) log-binomial and logistic regression models, clustering on the patient-level. Of 436 patients, mean age was 43 years (standard-deviation 11); 88% cisgender-male; 39% white, 66% homeless; 67% had trimorbidity by Elixhauser score (medical comorbidity, psychotic disorder or depression, and substance use disorder). Clinical encounters immediately dropped following SIP for HIV (aOR = 0.77; 95% CI: 0.67, 0.90) and substance use visits (aRR = 0.83; 95% CI: 0.70, 0.99) and declined in subsequent months. Differential reductions in clinical encounters were seen among Black/African Americans (aRR = 0.93; 95% CI: 0.88, 0.99) and people experiencing homelessness (aRR = 0.92; 95% CI: 0.87, 0.98). Significant reductions in care were observed for PWH with CLI during the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly among Black/African Americans and people experiencing homelessness. Strategies to End the HIV Epidemic must improve engagement across diverse care settings to improve outcomes for this key population.

Travel distance to rifampicin-resistant tuberculosis treatment and its impact on loss to follow-up: the importance of continued RR-TB treatment decentralization in South Africa.

BACKGROUND: Understanding why patients experience loss to follow-up (LTFU) is essential for TB control. This analysis examines the impact of travel distance to RR-TB treatment on LTFU, which has yet to be analyzed within South Africa. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed 1436 patients treated for RR-TB at ten South African public hospitals. We linked patients to their residential ward using data reported to NHLS and maps available from the Municipal Demarcation Board. Travel distance was calculated from each patient's ward centroid to their RR-TB treatment site using the georoute command in Stata. The relationship between LTFU and travel distance was modeled using multivariable logistic regression. RESULTS: Among 1436 participants, 75.6% successfully completed treatment and 24.4% were LTFU. The median travel distance was 40.96 km (IQR: 17.12, 63.49). A travel distance > 60 km increased odds of LTFU by 91% (p = 0.001) when adjusting for HIV status, age, sex, education level, employment status, residential locale, treatment regimen, and treatment site. CONCLUSION: People living in KwaZulu-Natal and Eastern Cape travel long distances to receive RR-TB care, placing them at increased risk for LTFU. Policies that bring RR-TB treatment closer to patients, such as further decentralization to PHCs, are necessary to improve RR-TB outcomes.

Mobilizing the fourth trimester to improve population health: interventions for postpartum transitions of care.

Birthing people in the United States, particularly those from marginalized communities, experience an unexpectedly high rate of morbidity and mortality. Optimal postpartum care is an opportunity to address immediate maternal health concerns while providing a connection to further high-value primary care. However, postpartum care in the United States is fragmented and incomplete. In response to this failure, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists has called for obstetricians to develop individualized care plans that facilitate transitions from obstetrical to primary care after delivery. In this clinical opinion, we review previous interventions that have aimed to increase postpartum care engagement and bridge gaps in care. Although numerous interventions have been trialed, few have been both successful and scalable. We provide recommendations on ways to reimagine equitable and effective postpartum care interventions with multidisciplinary collaboration.

Interventions to Improve Adolescent HIV Care Outcomes.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: This review of recent studies evaluating interventions to improve HIV care outcomes among adolescents with HIV (AHIV) was conducted to provide a comprehensive overview of the recent evidence, highlight promising approaches, and suggest directions for future research. RECENT FINDINGS: Our scoping review revealed 65 studies evaluating a variety of interventions and using a range of study designs at various stages of research. Effective approaches included community-based, integrated service delivery models with case management, trained community adolescent treatment supporters, and consideration of social determinants of health. Recent evidence also supports the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary efficacy of other innovative approaches, including mental health interventions as well as technology-delivered approaches; however, more research is needed to build the evidence base for these interventions. Our review's findings suggest that interventions providing comprehensive, individualized support are essential to improving HIV care outcomes among adolescents. More research is needed to build the evidence base for such interventions and ensure effective, equitable implementation to support the global target of ending the AIDS epidemic by 2030.

The Relationship Between Intersectional Drug Use and HIV Stigma and HIV Care Engagement Among Women Living with HIV in Ukraine.

This study used an intersectional approach to explore the association between enacted and internalized drug use and HIV stigma on HIV care outcomes among HIV-positive women who inject drugs in Ukraine. Surveys were conducted in Kyiv in 2019-2020. Among the 306 respondents, 55% were engaged in HIV care. More than half (52%) of participants not engaged in care reported internalized stigma related to both drug use and HIV status (i.e., intersectional stigma), compared to only 35% of those who were engaged in HIV care. Among those engaged in care, 36% reported intersectional enacted stigma compared to 44% of those not engaged in care; however, this difference was not statistically significant in the univariable analysis (p = 0.06). In the univariable analysis, participants who reported intersectional internalized stigma had 62% lower odds of being engaged in HIV care (OR 0.38, 95% CI 0.22, 0.65, p < 0.001). In the adjusted model, reported intersectional internalized stigma (aOR 0.52, 95% CI 0.30, 0.92, p = 0.026), reported intersectional enacted stigma (aOR 0.47, 95% CI 0.23, 0.95, p = 0.036), and knowing their HIV status for more than 5-years (aOR 2.29, 95% CI 1.35, 3.87, p = 0.002) were significant predictors of HIV care engagement. These findings indicate that interventions to improve HIV care engagement must address women's experiences of both HIV and drug use stigma and the different mechanisms through which stigma operates.

Alcohol use among people who inject drugs living with HIV in Kenya is associated with needle sharing, more new sex partners, and lower engagement in HIV care.

We assessed the prevalence and correlates of alcohol use among 870 people who inject drugs living with HIV in Kenya, with attention toward (1) sexual and injecting risk behaviors for HIV transmission and (2) HIV care engagement. We defined heavy alcohol use as > 14 drinks/week for men and > 7 drinks/week for women, moderate alcohol use as any lesser but non-zero amount, and any alcohol use as either moderate or heavy use. Approximately 39% of participants reported any alcohol use and 15% heavy use. In multivariate analysis, any alcohol use compared to no use was associated with needle sharing, > 3 new sex partners in the past 3 months, being unaware of HIV status, never enrolling in HIV care, and not being on ART (all p < 0.05). Heavy alcohol use as compared to no use was associated with needle sharing (aOR = 2.72; 95% CI 1.43, 5.13), injection equipment sharing (aOR = 1.80; 95% CI 1.00, 3.16), > 3 new sex partners in the past 3 months (aOR = 1.99; 95% CI 1.12, 3.49), and being unaware of HIV status (aOR = 2.77; 95% CI 1.46, 5.19). There was no association between any measure of alcohol use and unsuppressed viral load. Alcohol use among people who inject drugs living with HIV may carry elevated risk of HIV transmission mediated by sexual and injecting practices and is associated with lower engagement in multiple stages of the HIV care cascade.

Intersectional stigma and gender non-affirmation hinder HIV care engagement among transgender women living with HIV in India.

Among transgender women living with HIV (TGWLH) in India, little is understood about the mechanisms through which multiple intersecting stigmas impact HIV care engagement, or intervention strategies that might mitigate this impact. We conducted focus groups with TGWLH (N = 30) in three Indian cities and analysed data using theoretical frameworks related to HIV stigma, gender affirmation, and syndemics. Findings revealed that enacted and anticipated stigma due to transgender identity, HIV, or sex work status, and lack of gender affirmation (e.g., misgendering) in healthcare settings delayed ART initiation and promoted care disengagement. Having supportive physicians and counsellors within ART centres and peer outreach workers facilitated ART initiation, adherence, and retention. Findings also revealed that HIV stigma within TGW communities led to concealment of HIV status or syndemic conditions such as depression and alcohol use, thereby affecting care engagement. However, the TGW community itself was also described as a resilience resource, offering emotional, psychological and tangible support that decreased the impact of discrimination on care engagement. HIV care engagement efforts among Indian TGWLH could be strengthened by reducing intersecting stigmas in healthcare settings and within TGW communities, providing gender-affirming and culturally competent healthcare, addressing psychosocial syndemic conditions, and strengthening support within transgender communities.

Communal or Autonomous? Coping Experiences of Chinese Serodiscordant Male Couples to HIV Care: A Dyadic Qualitative Analysis.

Limited empirical evidence exists on the interpersonal challenges faced by Chinese serodiscordant male couples in HIV care. This study aimed to explore their coping experiences in HIV care by applying the communal coping process theoretical framework. A dyadic qualitative study using face-to-face interviews with 20 serodiscordant male couples (n = 40) was conducted between July and September 2021 in two Chinese metropolitan areas through purposive sampling. Eligibility included one partner living with HIV and the other being HIV-negative, both aged 18 or older, born male, gay or bisexual, and in a relationship together for at least 3 months. A hybrid deductive-inductive approach integrated with dyadic interview analysis and framework method was used for data analysis. We identified three themes in the coping process in HIV care: (1) coping as an autonomous process, (2) coping as a dissonant process, and (3) coping as a contextualized communal process. Concerning autonomous coping, most couples adopted either disengaged avoidance or mutual noninvolvement as negative coping strategies. We also identified potential risk factors for dissonant coping, which are a partner living with internalized HIV stigma and the couple's asymmetric relationship goals. Our results indicate the communal coping process of HIV care is contextual, and our expansion of the communal coping theory sheds light on how serodiscordant male couples cope with stressors connected to HIV care. Our findings provide theoretical insights for the development of dyadic interventions based on health psychology for Chinese serodiscordant male couples to engage in HIV care.

Pre-Paid Phone Distribution: A Tool for Improving Healthcare Engagement for People with Substance Use Disorder.

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic drove significant disruptions in access to substance use disorder (SUD) treatment and harm reduction services. Healthcare delivery via telemedicine has increasingly become the norm, rendering access to a phone essential for engagement in care. METHODS: Adult patients with SUD who lacked phones (n = 181) received a free, pre-paid phone during encounters with inpatient and outpatient SUD programs. We evaluated changes in healthcare engagement including completed in-person and telemedicine outpatient visits and telephone encounters 30 days before and after phone receipt. We used descriptive statistics, where appropriate, and paired t-tests to assess the change in healthcare engagement measures. RESULTS: Patients were predominantly male (64%) and white (62%) with high rates of homelessness (81%) and opioid use disorder (89%). When comparing 30 days before to 30 days after phone receipt, there was a significant increased change in number of telemedicine visits by 0.3 (95% CL [0.1,0.4], p < 0.001) and telephone encounters by 0.2 (95% CL [0.1,0.3], p = 0.004). There was no statistically significant change in in-person outpatient visits observed. CONCLUSIONS: Pre-paid phone distribution to patients with SUD was associated with an increased healthcare engagement including telemedicine visits and encounters.

HIV Treatment Outcomes in POP-UP: Drop-in HIV Primary Care Model for People Experiencing Homelessness.

BACKGROUND: People with HIV experiencing homelessness have low rates of viral suppression, driven by sociostructural barriers and traditional care system limitations. Informed by the capability-opportunity-motivation-behavior (COM-B) model and patient preference research, we developed POP-UP, an integrated drop-in (nonappointment-based) HIV clinic with wrap-around services for persons with housing instability and viral nonsuppression in San Francisco. METHODS: We report HIV viral suppression (VS; <200 copies/mL), care engagement, and mortality at 12 months postenrollment. We used logistic regression to determine participant characteristics associated with VS. RESULTS: We enrolled 112 patients with viral nonsuppression and housing instability: 52% experiencing street-homelessness, 100% with a substance use disorder, and 70% with mental health diagnoses. At 12 months postenrollment, 70% had ≥1 visit each 4-month period, although 59% had a 90-day care gap; 44% had VS, 24% had viral nonsuppression, 23% missing, and 9% died (6 overdose, 2 AIDS-associated, 2 other). No baseline characteristics were associated with VS. CONCLUSIONS: The POP-UP low-barrier HIV care model successfully reached and retained some of our clinic's highest-risk patients. It was associated with VS improvement from 0% at baseline to 44% at 12 months among people with housing instability. Care gaps and high mortality from overdose remain major challenges to achieving optimal HIV treatment outcomes in this population.

Longitudinal trajectories of HIV care engagement since diagnosis among persons with HIV in the Florida Ryan White program.

HIV care engagement is a dynamic process. We employed group-based trajectory modeling to examine longitudinal patterns in care engagement among people who were newly diagnosed with HIV and enrolled in the Ryan White program in Florida (n = 9,755) between 2010 and 2015. Five trajectories were identified (47.9% "in care" with 1-2 care visit(s) per 6 months, 18.0% "frequent care" with 3 or more care visits per 6 months, 11.0% "re-engage", 11.0% "gradual drop out", 12.6% "early dropout") based on the number of care attendances (including outpatient/case management visits, viral load or CD4 test) for each six-month during the first five years since diagnosis. Relative to "in care", people in the "frequent care" trajectory were more likely to be Hispanic/Latino and older at HIV diagnosis, whereas people in the three suboptimal care retention trajectories were more likely to be younger. Area deprivation index, rurality, and county health rankings were also strongly associated with care trajectories. Individual- and community-level factors associated to the three suboptimal care retention trajectories, if confirmed to be causative and actionable, could be prioritized to improve HIV care engagement.

Perceived discrimination, adherence to antiretroviral therapy, and HIV care engagement among HIV-positive black adults: the mediating role of medical mistrust.

Perceived discrimination and medical mistrust are contributors to HIV inequities. The current study examined whether medical mistrust mediated the associations between perceived discrimination and adherence to antiretroviral therapy (ART) as well as care engagement in a sample of 304 Black adults living with HIV. Perceived discrimination and medical mistrust were measured using validated scales; ART adherence was electronically monitored for a month; care engagement was determined by medical record data. Results support significant total indirect effects from perceived discrimination (due to HIV-serostatus, race, sexual orientation) to ART adherence through three types of medical mistrust (towards healthcare organizations, one's physician, and HIV-specific mistrust). The total indirect effects were also significant for care engagement and were largely driven by mistrust towards one's own physician. Findings suggest interventions at the provider or healthcare organization levels should address medical mistrust to improve the health and well-being of Black Americans living with HIV.

Primary Care Guidance for Persons With Human Immunodeficiency Virus: 2020 Update by the HIV Medicine Association of the Infectious Diseases Society of America.

Advances in antiretroviral therapy (ART) have made it possible for persons with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) to live a near expected life span, without progressing to AIDS or transmitting HIV to sexual partners or infants. There is, therefore, increasing emphasis on maintaining health throughout the life span. To receive optimal medical care and achieve desired outcomes, persons with HIV must be consistently engaged in care and able to access uninterrupted treatment, including ART. Comprehensive evidence-based HIV primary care guidance is, therefore, more important than ever. Creating a patient-centered, stigma-free care environment is essential for care engagement. Barriers to care must be decreased at the societal, health system, clinic, and individual levels. As the population ages and noncommunicable diseases arise, providing comprehensive healthcare for persons with HIV becomes increasingly complex, including management of multiple comorbidities and the associated challenges of polypharmacy, while not neglecting HIV-related health concerns. Clinicians must address issues specific to persons of childbearing potential, including care during preconception and pregnancy, and to children, adolescents, and transgender and gender-diverse individuals. This guidance from an expert panel of the HIV Medicine Association of the Infectious Diseases Society of America updates previous 2013 primary care guidelines.

Evaluation of Translife Care: An Intervention to Address Social Determinants of Engagement in HIV Care Among Transgender Women of Color.

The TransLife Care (TLC) project was developed to address the structural factors that act as barriers to HIV care among transgender women of color. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the feasibility and initial efficacy of the TLC project; primary HIV care outcomes included linkage to HIV care, engagement in care, retention in care, use of ART and viral suppression among N = 120 participants. In multivariable analysis, receipt of the intervention (versus none), was associated with any HIV care visit (aOR 2.05; 95% CI 1.25-3.37; p = 0.005), more total HIV care visits (aRR 1.45; 95% CI 1.09-1.94; p = 0.011), being retained in care (aOR 1.58; 95% CI 1.03-2.44; p = 0.038), and having a viral load test done (aOR 1.95; 95% CI 1.23-3.09; p = 0.004). We conclude that a structural intervention, designed and delivered by the focus population, that directly addresses social determinants, is feasible and efficacious to promote HIV care engagement among transgender women of color.

RESUMEN: El proyecto TransLife Care (TLC) se desarrolló para abordar los factores estructurales que actúan como barreras para la atención médica del VIH entre las mujeres transgénero de color. El propósito de este estudio fue evaluar la viabilidad y la eficacia inicial del proyecto TLC; los resultados primarios de la atención médica del VIH incluyeron el vínculo con la atención médica del VIH, la retención en la atención médica, el uso de ART y la supresión viral entre N = 120 participantes. En el análisis multivariable, la recepción de la intervención (versus ninguna) se asoció con la participación en la atención médica (aOR 2.05, IC 95% 1.25­3.37, p = 0.005), más visitas totales al VIH (aRR 1.45, IC 95% 1.09­1.94, p = 0.011), se mantuvo en la atención médica (aOR 1.58; IC 95%: 1.03 - 2.44; p = 0.038) y se realizó una prueba de carga viral (aOR 1.95; IC 95%: 1.23 - 3.09; p = 0.004). Concluimos que una intervención estructural, diseñada y ejecutada por la población de enfoque, que aborda directamente los determinantes sociales, es factible y eficaz para promover el compromiso de la atención del VIH entre las mujeres transgénero de color.

The Intersection of Inequitable Gender Norm Endorsement and HIV Stigma: Implications for HIV Care Engagement for Men in Ugandan Fishing Communities.

Men's engagement in the HIV care continuum may be negatively affected by adherence to inequitable gender norms, which may be exacerbated by HIV stigma. This cross-sectional study with 300 male fisherfolk in Uganda examined the independent and interacting effects of inequitable gender norm endorsement and HIV stigma on men's missed HIV care appointments and missed antiretroviral (ARV) doses. Greater gender inequitable norm endorsement was associated with increased odds of missed HIV clinic visits (adjusted odds ratio [AOR)] 1.44, 95% CI 1.16-1.78) and a statistically significant interaction between internalized HIV stigma and inequitable gender norms on missed ARV doses was identified (AOR 5.32, 95% CI 2.60-10.86). Adherence to traditional gender norms reduces men's HIV appointment attendance, and among men with high internalized stigma, increases the likelihood of poor treatment adherence. These findings point to the need for HIV interventions that reconfigure harmful gender norms with a focus on stigma reduction.

Improving HIV medical care engagement by attending to status disclosure and social support.

Expeditious linkage and consistent engagement in medical care is important for people with HIV's (PWH) health. One theory on fostering linkage and engagement involves HIV status disclosure to mobilize social support. To assess disclosure and social support's association with linkage and engagement, we conducted a qualitative study sampling black and Latino men who have sex with men (MSM of color) in the U.S. Participants' narratives presented mixed results. For instance, several participants who reported delaying, inconsistent access, or detachment from care also reported disclosing for support purposes, yet sporadic engagement suggests that their disclosure or any subsequent social support have not assisted. The findings contribute to the literature that questions disclosure and social support's influence on care engagement, especially when decontextualized from circumstances and intentions. Our findings suggest the mechanics of disclosure and social support require planned implementation if intending to affect outcomes, especially among MSM of color. From the findings, we explore steps that may bolster interventions seeking to anchor medical care engagement.