Brief Report: Assessing the Impact of Race on HIV/STI Risk Perceptions Among Young Men Who Have Sex With Men Using an Experimental Approach

Comparing open-ended question methods to vignette methods to explore willingness to obtain pre-exposure prophylaxis access in pharmacies among black men who have sex with men

Black men who have sex with men (BMSM) are at higher risk of HIV transmission than any other group; however, their uptake of the highly effective HIV prevention medication, pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), is low. In collaboration with a communitybased organization in Atlanta, Georgia, we explored ten HIV-negative BMSM's willingness to obtain PrEP in pharmacies using standard open-ended and vignette qualitative methods. Three overarching themes were identified: privacy, patient-pharmacist interactions, and HIV/STI screening. While open-ended questions allowed participants to provide broad answers on their willingness to receive prevention services at a pharmacy, the vignette drew out specific responses to facilitate in-pharmacy PrEP delivery. Using both openended questions and vignette data collection strategies, BMSM reported high willingness to screen for and uptake PrEP in pharmacies. However, the vignette method allowed for greater depth. Open-ended questions elicited responses that highlighted general barriers and facilitators of PrEP dispensing in pharmacies. However, the vignette allowed participants to customize a plan of action that would best fit their needs. Vignette methods are underutilized in HIV research and may be helpful in supplementing standard open-ended interview questions to uncovering unknown challenges about health behaviors and obtain more robust data on highly sensitive research topics in HIV research.