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Hill SV, Pratt MC, Elopre L, Simpson T, Gaines Lanzi R, Matthews LT. "Nobody Wants to Have Conversation About HIV." A Thematic Analysis of in-Depth Interviews With Black Adolescent Women and Providers About Strategies for Discussing Sexual Health and HIV Prevention. Sex Transm Dis 2024; 51:466-471. [PMID: 38597652 PMCID: PMC11182704 DOI: 10.1097/olq.0000000000001972] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/11/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Black adolescent girls and young women (AGYW) in the US Southeast are disproportionately burdened by HIV. Infrequent assessment of sexual health in clinical encounters may contribute to low preexposure prophylaxis uptake for this population. This study explores Black AGYW and providers' perspectives on engaging in discussions about sexual health, including preexposure prophylaxis. METHODS In-depth interviews (IDIs) were conducted with Black AGYW aged 14 to 24 years and health care providers (MD, DO, NP, PA) who self-reported caring for Black AGYWs in Alabama. In-depth interviews were grounded in Andersen's Behavioral Model of Health Service Utilization to explore barriers and facilitators to sexual health discussions. After separate analyses, AGYW and provider IDIs were aggregated and reanalyzed using thematic analysis to identify themes related to their views on ways to improve Black AGYW engagement in sexual health discussions while in clinical settings. RESULTS Twelve Black AGYW and 11 providers completed IDIs. Client median age was 21 years, representing 9 Alabama counties. Providers were predominately non-Hispanic White (82%), female (73%), and physicians (64%). Themes about ways to improve sexual health discussions included the following: (1) improve sexual health education for providers and adolescents, (2) normalize conversations in clinical settings, and (3) engage communities to continue these conversations outside of clinical settings. CONCLUSIONS Sexual health and HIV prevention discussions with Black AGYW are not occurring. This study is one of the first to identify and highlight Black AGYW and provider-identified shared strategies for improving these discussions. Operationalizing these strategies is crucial to facilitating these discussions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samantha V Hill
- From the Division of Adolescent Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine
| | - Madeline C Pratt
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, School of Medicine
| | - Latesha Elopre
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, School of Medicine
| | - Tina Simpson
- From the Division of Adolescent Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine
| | | | - Lynn T Matthews
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, School of Medicine
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Irie WC, Mayer K. Avoiding Shots in the Dark: Learning from the Past To Inform the Implementation of Long-Acting Injectable Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis for Black American Cisgender Women. AIDS Behav 2024; 28:2175-2182. [PMID: 38605250 DOI: 10.1007/s10461-024-04340-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/03/2024] [Indexed: 04/13/2024]
Abstract
The FDA's approval of long-acting injectable cabotegravir pre-exposure prophylaxis (LAI PrEP) as an alternative to daily oral PrEP represents a crucial development in HIV prevention, particularly for American Black cisgender women who face high HIV-1 risks. Yet, uptake may be hindered by racial and gender inequities. Addressing these requires learning from the roll-out of oral PrEP, creating culturally tailored PrEP campaigns, and enhancing provider training to meet Black women's needs. Tools for discussing PrEP within personal relationships and product preference research tailored to Black women's needs are essential for effective LAI PrEP delivery. Deliberative implementation of LAI PrEP must employ strategies that are community-sensitive, -responsive, and -inclusive. It should prioritize the incorporation of Black women's voices in decision-making and should promote community-led strategies. By addressing historical injustices and fostering trust, healthcare systems can enhance LAI PrEP uptake by Black women. Emphasizing a community-centered approach that ensures health equity and acknowledges the crucial role that social media and Black-led organizations play in promoting PrEP awareness and adoption within Black communities is necessary for successful implementation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Whitney C Irie
- Boston College School of Social Work, 140 Commonwealth Avenue, 02467-1037, Chestnut Hill, MA, USA.
- The Fenway Institute, Fenway Health, Boston, MA, USA.
| | - Kenneth Mayer
- The Fenway Institute, Fenway Health, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
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Irie WC, Mahone A, Johnson B, Marrazzo J, Mugavero MJ, Van Der Pol B, Elopre L. "Just the Stigma Associated with PrEP Makes You Feel Like It's HIV Itself": Exploring PrEP Stigma, Skepticism, and Medical Mistrust Among Black Cisgender Women in Urban and Rural Counties in the U.S. Deep South. ARCHIVES OF SEXUAL BEHAVIOR 2024; 53:1187-1195. [PMID: 38195827 DOI: 10.1007/s10508-023-02769-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2023] [Revised: 11/25/2023] [Accepted: 11/28/2023] [Indexed: 01/11/2024]
Abstract
Despite its effectiveness in HIV prevention, PrEP use among Black women is suboptimal. Notably in the Deep South, Black women have the lowest PrEP uptake rates among all US regions. To increase PrEP engagement, research suggests the implementation of structural and social interventions particular to the needs of Black women. The state of Alabama is of priority to federal HIV prevention initiatives; therefore, this study conducted focus groups among 47 cis-gender Black women in rural and urban Alabama counties, with the highest statewide HIV incidence rates, to understand perceptions of PrEP and decision-making processes. Deductive coding analysis was conducted and themes were finalized based on consensus among the two coders. Four themes were identified. Findings show stigma undergirds Alabaman Black women's decisions to engage in PrEP care. Moreover, women reported stigma stifled community-level education about PrEP. Despite these experiences, education was regarded as a strategy to decrease stigma and PrEP skepticism, the latter of which emerged as a prominent theme. Medical mistrust and healthcare engagement were the other emergent themes influencing participation in PrEP care. To ensure PrEP efforts meet the needs of Black cisgender women in Alabama counties, interventions must address longstanding stigma, increase educational initiatives, and ensure interventions consider women's experiences with medical mistrust and health care engagement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Whitney C Irie
- Boston College School of Social Work, Chestnut Hill, 140 Commonwealth Avenue, Chestnut Hill, MA, 02467-1037, USA.
- The Fenway Institute, Fenway Health, Boston, MA, USA.
| | - Anais Mahone
- School of Social Work, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ, USA
| | - Bernadette Johnson
- Department of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA
| | - Jeanne Marrazzo
- Department of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA
| | - Michael J Mugavero
- Department of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA
| | - Barbara Van Der Pol
- Department of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA
| | - Latesha Elopre
- Department of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA
- Department of Health Behavior, University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Public Health, Birmingham, AL, USA
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Isehunwa OO, Hill SV, Menninger AT, Hubner B, Krakower D, Long DM, Pratt MC, Clement ME, Wagoner NV, Lanzi RG, Simpson T, Elopre L, Matthews LT. A Multicomponent Intervention to Train and Support Family Medicine Providers to Promote Pre-exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) for Adolescent Girls and Young Women in the Deep South: Protocol for the PrEP-Pro Study. JMIR Res Protoc 2023; 12:e44908. [PMID: 36943364 PMCID: PMC10131664 DOI: 10.2196/44908] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2022] [Revised: 02/07/2023] [Accepted: 02/08/2023] [Indexed: 02/11/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is a highly effective biomedical prevention intervention and a major strategy for reducing the HIV burden in the United States. However, PrEP provision and uptake remain lower than estimated needs, and in ways that may exacerbate HIV disparities among Black adolescent girls and young women in the southern United States. Data suggest that gaps in provider knowledge of HIV epidemiology and PrEP and skills assessing sexual health practices are important barriers to provision and uptake, with limited evidence-based interventions to address these gaps. OBJECTIVE This paper describes the "PrEP-Pro" intervention, a multicomponent intervention to train and support family medicine (FM) trainees to promote PrEP for adolescent girls and young women in Alabama. METHODS The PrEP-Pro intervention comprises 3 main components guided by the Capability-Opportunity-Motivation-Behavior (COM-B) model for behavioral change and the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR): (1) provider HIV epidemiology and PrEP education, (2) sexual history taking, and (3) PrEP Champions. In phase 1, we will work with community advisory boards (providers and clients) and then conduct focus groups with FM trainees to adapt content to train FM residents on HIV epidemiology and PrEP and develop implementation strategies, including provider-facing tools and client-facing educational materials. In phase 2, we will pretest and then pilot-test the initially adapted PrEP-Pro intervention with FM trainees. FM trainees will complete baseline, 3-, and 6-month questionnaires post PrEP-Pro intervention. We will also conduct in-depth interviews (IDIs) with FM pilot participants, adolescent girls and young women who accessed care after the PrEP-Pro pilot, and key stakeholders. The primary outcomes are PrEP-Pro acceptability and feasibility, which would be assessed using validated instruments at months 3 (among pretest participants) and 6 (among pilot participants). Secondary outcomes will also be assessed, including PrEP knowledge, sexual history-taking attitudes and practices, PrEP prescriptions among adolescent girls and young women encounters, and sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and HIV testing among adolescent girls and young women encounters in 6 months. RESULTS Study results will be disseminated to practices, state health officials, and other key stakeholders to solicit feedback on implementation opportunities and challenges to inform a hybrid effectiveness implementation trial. Our results will also be presented at local and national conferences and submitted to peer-reviewed journals. CONCLUSIONS As PrEP grows, there is a pressing need to train FM providers and develop appropriate, contextually relevant tools to support PrEP implementation. The PrEP-Pro intervention is a multicomponent intervention to train FM residents across Alabama on sexual history-taking, PrEP provision for adolescent girls and young women, and supporting practice-based PrEP Champions. The PrEP-Pro intervention is anticipated to increase PrEP prescriptions for adolescent girls and young women and expand comprehensive sexual and reproductive health care for adolescent girls and young women in rural and urban Alabama. INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID) PRR1-10.2196/44908.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oluwaseyi O Isehunwa
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, United States
| | - Samantha V Hill
- Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, United States
| | - Alex Tobias Menninger
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, United States
- School of Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
| | - Brook Hubner
- Department of Medical Education, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, United States
| | - Douglas Krakower
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Dustin M Long
- Department of Biostatistics, School of Public Health, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, United States
| | - Madeline C Pratt
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, United States
| | - Meredith E Clement
- Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, LA, United States
| | - Nicholas Van Wagoner
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, United States
| | - Robin Gaines Lanzi
- Department of Health Behavior, School of Public Health, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, United States
| | - Tina Simpson
- Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA, United States
| | - Latesha Elopre
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, United States
| | - Lynn T Matthews
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, United States
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Pratt MC, Hill SV, Elopre L, Simpson T, Lanzi R, Matthews LT. PrEP Prescription for Black Adolescent Girls and Young Women in Alabama: Findings from a Survey of Healthcare Providers. J Int Assoc Provid AIDS Care 2022; 21:23259582221127936. [PMID: 36147031 PMCID: PMC9511308 DOI: 10.1177/23259582221127936] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Black adolescent girls and young women (AGYW) are disproportionately affected by HIV in the United States. HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is effective for HIV prevention, but prescription rates remain low. We conducted a survey of medical providers caring for Black AGYW in Alabama to explore PrEP prescription practices. While over half of the N = 36 providers reported minimal HIV testing of AGYW in clinic, most (N = 29, 81%) reported feeling confident discussing HIV prevention. Most reported willingness to prescribe PrEP to Black AGYW (58%-72%), but only 11 (31%) had prescribed PrEP to any female client. Low familiarity with CDC guidelines (N = 20, 56%) and PrEP options (N = 19, 53%) were barriers to prescription. Prescribing PrEP to AGYW was associated with provider training, with internal medicine providers being least likely to prescribe. These findings support the need to develop training tools to directly address unique training needs of providers who care for this population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Madeline C Pratt
- Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, 9967School of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB), Birmingham, Alabama, USA
| | - Samantha V Hill
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Adolescent Medicine, 9967School of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB), Birmingham, Alabama, USA
| | - Latesha Elopre
- Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, 9967School of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB), Birmingham, Alabama, USA
| | - Tina Simpson
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Adolescent Medicine, 9967School of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB), Birmingham, Alabama, USA
| | - Robin Lanzi
- Department of Health Behavior, 48653School of Public Health, University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB), Birmingham, Alabama, USA
| | - Lynn T Matthews
- Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, 9967School of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB), Birmingham, Alabama, USA
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