Sociocultural Contexts of Access to HIV Primary Care and Participant Experience with an Intervention Project: African American Transgender Women Living with HIV in Alameda County, California

A Trauma-Informed HIV Intervention (LinkPositively) to Improve HIV Care Among Black Women Affected by Interpersonal Violence: Protocol for a Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial

BACKGROUND

Black women bear a disproportionate burden of HIV, accounting for nearly 60% of new diagnoses among US women. Black women living with HIV often experience mutually reinforcing epidemics, known as syndemics, including interpersonal violence and substance use. Syndemics are associated with decreased HIV care engagement and treatment adherence and worsening HIV outcomes. Few HIV services and resources are tailored to be culturally and gender-responsive and trauma informed for Black women living with HIV. Technology-based, psychoeducational, and peer navigation programs offer promising pathways to tailored HIV support and improved HIV care outcomes. Therefore, the web-based, trauma-informed intervention LinkPositively was developed in collaboration with Black women living with HIV to promote uptake of HIV care and ancillary support services.

OBJECTIVE

This study primarily determines the feasibility and acceptability of the LinkPositively intervention among Black women living with HIV affected by interpersonal violence. The secondary aim is to examine the preliminary impact of the LinkPositively intervention on retention in HIV care, antiretroviral therapy adherence, and viral suppression while evaluating the role of mechanism of change variables (eg, social support) in the associations.

METHODS

The LinkPositively trial is a pilot randomized controlled trial conducted in California, United States, among 80 adult Black women living with HIV who have experienced interpersonal violence. Core components of LinkPositively include one-on-one peer navigation with phone and SMS text message check-ins; 5 weekly one-on-one video sessions to build coping and care navigation skills; and a mobile app that contains a peer support social networking platform, an educational database with healthy living and self-care tips, a GPS-enabled HIV and ancillary care resource locator, and a medication self-monitoring and reminder system. Participants are randomly assigned to the intervention (n=40) or control (Ryan White standard of care; n=40) arm, with follow-up at 3 and 6 months. At each assessment, participants complete an interviewer-administered survey and submit hair samples for the assessment of HIV medication adherence. All research staff and investigators adhere to ethical principles and guidelines for conducting research activities. Data will be analyzed using generalized estimating equations.

RESULTS

Final development and testing of the LinkPositively app were completed in July 2021. As of May 2023, we have screened 97 women for eligibility. Of the 97 women screened, 27 (28%) were eligible and have been enrolled in the study. The dissemination of preliminary results will occur in 2024.

CONCLUSIONS

This trial will advance HIV prevention science by harnessing technology to promote engagement in HIV care while improving social support through peers and social networking-all while being trauma informed for Black women living with HIV with experiences of interpersonal violence. If shown to be feasible and acceptable, LinkPositively has the potential to improve HIV care outcomes among Black women, a marginalized key population.

INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID)

DERR1-10.2196/46325.

HIV Care Continuum Interventions for Transgender Women: A Topical Review

Transgender women experience a disproportionate prevalence of HIV and barriers to linkage to care, retention in care, medication adherence, and viral suppression. As part of a national cooperative agreement funded by the Health Resources and Services Administration's HIV/AIDS Bureau, we searched the literature from January 1, 2010, through June 1, 2020, for English-language articles on interventions designed to improve at least 1 HIV care continuum outcome or address 1 barrier to achieving HIV care continuum outcomes among transgender women diagnosed with HIV in the United States. To be included, articles needed to identify transgender women as a priority population for the intervention. We found 22 interventions, of which 15 reported quantitative or qualitative outcomes and 7 reported study protocols. Recent interventions have incorporated a range of strategies that show promise for addressing pervasive structural and individual barriers rooted in societal and cultural stigma and discrimination against transgender people. Cross-cutting themes found among the interventions included meaningful community participation in the design and implementation of the interventions; culturally affirming programs that serve as a gateway to HIV care and combine gender-affirming care and social services with HIV care; interventions to improve behavioral health outcomes; peer-led counseling, education, and navigation; and technology-based interventions to increase access to care management and online social support. Ongoing studies will further elucidate the efficacy and effectiveness of these interventions, with the goal of reducing disparities in the HIV care continuum and bringing us closer to ending the HIV epidemic among transgender women in the United States.

An evaluation of nine culturally tailored interventions designed to enhance engagement in HIV care among transgender women of colour in the United States

INTRODUCTION

Transgender women (TW) worldwide have a high prevalence of HIV, and TW with HIV encounter numerous healthcare barriers. It is critical to develop evidence-informed interventions to improve their engagement in healthcare to achieve durable viral suppression (VS). We evaluated whether participation in one of nine interventions designed specifically for TW was associated with improved engagement in HIV care among transgender women of colour (TWC).

METHODS

Between 2013 and 2017, nine US organizations implemented nine distinct and innovative HIV care engagement interventions with diverse strategies, including: individual and group sessions, case management and navigation, outreach, drop-in spaces, peer support and/or incentives to engage TWC with HIV in care. The organizations enrolled 858 TWC, conducted surveys, captured intervention exposure data and extracted medical record data. Our evaluation of the interventions employed a pre-post design and examined four outcomes-any HIV care visit, antiretroviral therapy (ART) prescription, retention in HIV care and VS (both overall and among those with a clinic visit and viral load test), at baseline and every 6 months for 24 months. We employed logistic generalized estimating equations to assess the relative odds of each outcome at 12 and 24 months compared to baseline.

RESULTS

Overall, 79% of participants were exposed to at least one intervention activity. Over 24 months of follow-up, participants received services for a median of over 6 hours (range: 3-69 hours/participant). Compared to baseline, significantly (p<0.05) greater odds were demonstrated at both 12 and 24 months for three outcomes: prescription of ART (ORs: 1.42 at 12 months, 1.49 at 24 months), VS among all participants (ORs: 1.49, 1.54) and VS among those with a clinic visit and viral load test (ORs: 1.53, 1.98). The outcomes of any HIV care visit and retention in HIV care had significantly greater odds (ORs: 1.38 and 1.58, respectively) only at 12 months compared to baseline.

CONCLUSIONS

These evaluation results illustrate promising approaches to improve engagement in HIV care and VS among TWC with HIV. Continued development, adaptation and scale-up of culturally tailored HIV care interventions for this key population are necessary to meet the UNAIDS 95-95-95 goals.