We are Family: A Feasibility and Acceptability Study of an HIV Prevention Intervention With the House Ball and Gay Family Communities

Identifying Best Practices for Increasing HIV Pre-exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) Use and Persistence in the United States: A Systematic Review

A qualitative systematic review was conducted to evaluate pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) interventions, describe characteristics of best practices for increasing PrEP use and persistence, and explore research gaps based on current PrEP interventions. We searched CDC's Prevention Research Synthesis (PRS) Project's cumulative HIV database (includes CINAHL, EMBASE, Global Health, MEDLINE, PsycInfo, and Sociological Abstracts) to identify PrEP intervention studies conducted in the U.S., published between 2000 and 2022 (last searched January 2023). Eligibility criteria include studies that evaluated PrEP interventions for persons testing negative for HIV infection, or for healthcare providers who prescribed PrEP; included comparisons between groups or pre/post; and reported at least one relevant PrEP outcome. Each eligible intervention was evaluated on the quality of study design, implementation, analysis, and strength of evidence (PROSPERO registration number: CRD42021256460). Of the 26 eligible interventions, the majority were focused on men who have sex with men (n = 18) and reported PrEP adherence outcomes (n = 12). Nine interventions met the criteria for Best Practices (i.e., evidence-based interventions, evidence-informed interventions). Five were digital health interventions while two implemented individual counseling, one offered motivational interviewing, and one provided integrated medical care with a PrEP peer navigator. Longer intervention periods may provide more time for intervention exposure to facilitate behavioral change, and engaging the community when developing, designing and implementing interventions may be key for effectiveness. For digital health interventions, two-way messaging may help participants feel supported. Research gaps included a lack of Best Practices for several populations (e.g., Black persons, Hispanic/Latino persons, persons who inject drugs, and women of color) and evidence for various intervention strategies (e.g., interventions for promoting provider's PrEP prescription behavior, peer support). These findings call for more collaborative work with communities to develop interventions that work and implement and disseminate Best Practices for increasing PrEP use and persistence in communities.

Influence of families and other adult support on HIV prevention outcomes among black men who have sex with men

BACKGROUND

Prior research has consistently shown that the involvement of families plays a vital role in reducing risk behaviors, such as engaging in condomless sex, and promoting HIV prevention behaviors among young Black men who have sex with men (YBMSM). With the aim of expanding the existing knowledge, this study aimed to examine the specific influence of families and other supportive adults in facilitating casual condom use, partner condom use, HIV testing, and preexposure prophylaxis (PrEP) utilization among young Black MSM.

METHODS

A sample of YBMSM aged 18-29 years (N = 400) was collected online. We used a path analysis to examine the influence of family factors on PrEP stigma and PrEP use. Respondents were recruited from December 1, 2021, to January 31, 2022. We used a path analysis to examine the direct and indirect effects of family factors on PrEP use through HIV testing and encouraging condom use.

RESULTS

Among BMSM, other adult support was positive and directly associated with condom use by both casual partners (β = 0.04, p < .05) and partners (β = 0.17, p < .01). Condom use by casual partners was negative and was directly associated with HIV testing (β = - 0.15, p < .01).

CONCLUSION

The primary aim of this research was to examine the influence of family and adult support on HIV prevention behaviors among young Black MSM, including condom use, HIV testing, and PrEP use. Our findings highlight the significance of implementing interventions that incorporate families and other supportive adults to enhance the engagement of young Black MSM in HIV prevention behaviors.

"A Double-Edged Sword": Health Professionals' Perspectives on the Health and Social Impacts of Gay Dating Apps on Young Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Queer Men

Gay dating apps (GDAs) play a central role in partner-seeking for many men. The purpose of the present study was to explore health professionals' perceptions of the effects of GDAs on young gay, bisexual, trans and queer men (YGBTQM). Because health professionals have access to privileged information about YGBTQM's experiences with GDAs, they can provide unique insights about their impacts on YGBTQM health and well-being. This study drew on 28 in-depth semi-structured qualitative interviews with health professionals who provide services to YGBTQM in British Columbia, Canada. Using thematic content analysis, we identified three themes showing participants' conflicting perceptions of GDAs' impacts on YGBTQM: (1) the accessibility of sex on GDAs as either transactional or pleasurable; (2) the building of community and increased safety, which at times corresponds with increased exposure to rejection and discrimination; and (3) a perceived escalation in sexual and drug-related risk-taking in conjunction with the opportunity for education, prevention and intervention. In response to the often polarizing literature on GDAs, this study is among the first to contribute empirical evidence into the perceptions of health professionals working with YGBTQM who use GDAs, while simultaneously providing actionable insights and strategies to help identify potential harms and maximize benefits.

Leveraging Resilience-supportive Strategies to Enhance Protective Factors in Young Sexual Minority Men: A Scoping Review of HIV Behavioral Interventions Implemented in High-income Countries

Behavioral HIV interventions focused on strengthening young sexual minority men's (SMM) internal (assets) and external (resources) protective factors are promising, yet their evaluation as resilience-supportive strategies to minimize or negate HIV-related risks remain understudied. The objective of this scoping review was to describe resilience-supportive intervention strategies that have been used to achieve desired HIV behavioral outcomes and to identify how these strategies have been evaluated using a resilience analytic framework. Our scoping review uncovered 271 peer-reviewed articles, of which 38 were eligible for inclusion based on our review criteria. The majority of interventions relied on social support strategies as their primary resilience-supportive strategy. A third of interventions reviewed analyzed their findings from a deficits-focused model, another third used compensatory resilience models, and the remaining interventions employed a hybrid (i.e., deficit and compensatory model) strategy. None of the interventions evaluated their intervention effects using a risk-protective model. From our synthesis regarding the current state of research around resilience-informed interventions, we propose strategies to inform the design of resilience-supportive approaches and make recommendations to move the field forward on how to develop, implement, and measure young SMM's resiliency processes.

Status-Neutral Interventions to Support Health Equity for Black Sexual Minority Men

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

Status-neutral care, a person-centered approach to healthcare not predicated on HIV serostatus, may improve health equity among Black sexual minority men (BSMM). We reviewed current status-neutral, HIV, and Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) interventions, and coded each for social-ecological focus and use of six approaches: (1) person-centered, (2) anti-stigma, (3) social support, (4) the social determinants of health (SDOH), (5) community engagement, and (6) multi-sectoral partnerships.

RECENT FINDINGS

We reviewed 25 studies, of which 3 were status-neutral. Nineteen studies utilized person-centered approaches, with several employing BSMM peers. For SDOH, financial incentives and reducing clinic-level barriers to care improved cascade outcomes. Direct text messaging, anti-stigma, social support, community-engagement, and multi-sectoral partnerships also improved outcomes in some studies. Few status-neutral programs exist and additional research is needed to identify key intervention components and mechanisms of influence. Programs targeting SDOH and multiple social-ecological levels offer promise for providing holistic care to BSMM, while addressing HIV prevention and treatment and health equity.

Evidence and implication of interventions across various socioecological levels to address pre-exposure prophylaxis uptake and adherence among men who have sex with men in the United States: a systematic review

BACKGROUND

Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) represents a proven biomedical strategy to prevent HIV transmissions among men who have sex with men (MSM) in the United States (US). Despite the design and implementation of various PrEP-focus interventions in the US, aggregated evidence for enhancing PrEP uptake and adherence is lacking. The objective of this systematic review is to synthesize and evaluate interventions aimed to improve PrEP uptake and adherence among MSM in the US, and identify gaps with opportunities to inform the design and implementation of future PrEP interventions for these priority populations.

METHODS

We followed the PRISMA guidelines and conducted a systematic review of articles (published by November 28, 2021) with a focus on PrEP-related interventions by searching multiple databases (PubMed, MEDLINE, Web of Science and PsycINFO). Details of PrEP interventions were characterized based on their socioecological level(s), implementation modalities, and stage(s) of PrEP cascade continuum.

RESULTS

Among the 1363 articles retrieved from multiple databases, 42 interventions identified from 47 publications met the inclusion criteria for this review. Most individual-level interventions were delivered via text messages and/or apps and incorporated personalized elements to tailor the intervention content on participants' demographic characteristics or HIV risk behaviors. Interpersonal-level interventions often employed peer mentors or social network strategies to enhance PrEP adoption among MSM of minority race. However, few interventions were implemented at the community-, healthcare/institution- or multiple levels.

CONCLUSIONS

Interventions that incorporate multiple socioecological levels hold promise to facilitate PrEP adoption and adherence among MSM in the US given their acceptability, feasibility, efficacy and effectiveness. Future PrEP interventions that simultaneously address PrEP-related barriers/facilitators across multiple socioecological levels should be enhanced with a focus to tackle contextual and structural barriers (e.g., social determinants of health, stigma or medical mistrust) at the community- and healthcare/institution-level to effectively promote PrEP use for MSM of color.