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Galvan FH, Liu H, Brooks RA, Chen YT, Mendoza Lepe R. Using social and sexual networking mobile applications to promote HIV testing, medical care and prevention services among Latino men who have sex with men in Los Angeles County, California, USA. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0268406. [PMID: 35560041 PMCID: PMC9106153 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0268406] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2021] [Accepted: 04/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
HIV disproportionately affects Latinos versus Whites, with Latinos having higher rates of HIV. Additionally, many HIV-positive Latinos are unaware of their infection. Proyecto Protégete, an HIV prevention intervention developed for Latino men who have sex with men (MSM), used social and sexual networking mobile applications (apps) to recruit individuals for HIV testing and linkage to medical care and prevention services. This study occurred in Los Angeles County, California, USA from December 18, 2015 to April 22, 2017. The study’s primary aim was to assess Proyecto Protégete‘s ability to successfully recruit Latino MSM involved in high-risk sexual activities. A secondary aim was to evaluate its capacity to promote HIV testing and linkage to HIV medical care and prevention services among this population by comparing it to two programs with similar samples. Comparisons using Fisher’s Exact Test were conducted between Proyecto Protégete and the HIV testing program of the agency in which Proyecto Protégete was located and the County-funded HIV testing programs to compare the samples’ rates of HIV-positive Latino MSM identified through HIV testing and linked to HIV medical care and prevention services. Participants were recruited through seven apps. In Proyecto Protégete, 9,573 individuals completed the screener, 4,657 were eligible, and 359 (7.7% of those eligible) enrolled. Among those enrolled, 79% reported anal sex without a condom in the previous twelve months; 51% reported anal sex under the influence of alcohol. The HIV positivity rates were as follows: Proyecto Protégete, 1.71%; the agency, 1.25% (p = .293, compared to Proyecto Protégete); and the County, 1.09% (p = .172, compared to Proyecto Protégete). The rates of those confirmed as new HIV-positives and linked to medical care within 30 days were as follows: Proyecto Protégete, 71.4%; the agency, 81.5% (p = .450, compared to Proyecto Protégete); and the County, 77.3% (p = .503, compared to Proyecto Protégete). Proyecto Protégete had a higher rate of linked referrals to prevention services than the agency’s testing program (19.5% versus 8.3%, p < .001). Proyecto Protégete experienced successes in some areas but not in others. Future research should build on Proyecto Protégete’s experiences to promote HIV-related services among Latino MSM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frank H. Galvan
- Department of Research and Evaluation, Bienestar Human Services, Inc., Los Angeles, California, United States of America
| | - Honghu Liu
- Division of Public Health & Community Dentistry, School of Dentistry, University of California, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
- Division of General Internal Medicine & Health Services Research, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
- Department of Biostatistics, Jonathan and Karin Fielding School of Public Health, University of California, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
| | - Ronald A. Brooks
- Department of Research and Evaluation, Bienestar Human Services, Inc., Los Angeles, California, United States of America
- Department of Family Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Ying-Tung Chen
- Department of Research and Evaluation, Bienestar Human Services, Inc., Los Angeles, California, United States of America
| | - Ricardo Mendoza Lepe
- Department of Research and Evaluation, Bienestar Human Services, Inc., Los Angeles, California, United States of America
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Seabra IL, Pedroso AO, Rodrigues TB, Ferreira GRON, da Silva Ferreira AL, Arcêncio RA, Gomes D, da Silva RAR, Botelho EP. Temporal trend and spatial analysis of the HIV epidemic in young men who have sex with men in the second largest Brazilian Amazonian province. BMC Infect Dis 2022; 22:190. [PMID: 35209850 PMCID: PMC8867691 DOI: 10.1186/s12879-022-07177-w] [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] [Received: 08/03/2021] [Accepted: 02/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Background After 40 years of its starting, the HIV epidemic in Brazilian Amazon region remains on an increasing trend. The young men who have sex with men (MSM) have been the most impacted by the HIV in the last decade. However, much more than attributing the risk behavior to HIV uniquely to the individual, behaviors are shaped by social determinants of health (SDH). Despite the problem, there is a scarcity of studies evaluating the impact of SDH on HIV among young MSM and none of them were done in the Northern of Brazil. Therefore, the main goal of this study was to analyse the HIV epidemic among Brazilian Amazonian young MSM using temporal trends and spatial analysis. Methods We conducted an ecological study using reported cases of HIV/AIDS in young MSM living in Pará, the second larger Brazilian Amazonian province, between 2007 and 2018. Data were obtained from the Information System for Notifiable Diseases. For the temporal analysis, we employed a Seasonal and Trend decomposition using Loess Forecasting model (STLF), which is a hybrid time-series forecast model, that combines the Autoregressive-Integrated Moving Average (ARIMA) forecasting model with the Seasonal-Trend by Loess (STL) decomposition method. For the spatial analysis, Moran’s spatial autocorrelation, spatial scan, and spatial regression techniques were used. Results A total of 2192 notifications were included in the study. Greater variabilities in HIV/AIDS population-level diagnosis rates were found in the festive months. The HIV/AIDS population-level diagnosis rates exhibited an upward trend from 2013 and this trend is forecasted to continue until 2022. Belém, the capital of Pará, presented the highest spatial risk for HIV/AIDS and was the only city to present spatiotemporal risk from 2014 to 2018. The geographic variation of the HIV epidemic was associated with the number of men with formal jobs, the average salary of men, and the percentage of people over 18 years old with elementary education. Conclusion The upward trend of HIV/AIDS population-level diagnosis rate forecasted until 2022 and the variability of the epidemic promoted by the SDH brings an alert and subsidies to health authorities to implement more efficient and focalized public policies against HIV among young MSM in Pará.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iaron Leal Seabra
- Universidade Federal do Pará, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Enfermagem, Rua Augusto Correia, 01 - Setor saúde, GuamáBelém, 66075-110, Pará, Brasil
| | - Andrey Oeiras Pedroso
- Universidade Federal do Pará, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Enfermagem, Rua Augusto Correia, 01 - Setor saúde, GuamáBelém, 66075-110, Pará, Brasil
| | - Taymara Barbosa Rodrigues
- Universidade Federal do Pará, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Enfermagem, Rua Augusto Correia, 01 - Setor saúde, GuamáBelém, 66075-110, Pará, Brasil
| | | | - Ana Lucia da Silva Ferreira
- Departamento de Vigilância Epidemiológica, Secretaria de Saúde Pública do Pará, Av. Doutor Freitas, 235 Sacramenta, 66123-050, Belém, Pará, Brasil
| | - Ricardo Alexandre Arcêncio
- Maternal-Infant and Public Health Nursing Departament, University of São Paulo, College of Nursing at Ribeirão Preto, Avenida Dos Bandeirantes, 3900 - Campus Universitário, Monte Alegre, 14040-902, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brasil
| | - Dulce Gomes
- Departamento de Matemática, Colégio Luís António Verney, Universidade de Évora, Rua Romão Ramalho,, 597000-671, Évora, Portugal
| | - Richardson Augusto Rosendo da Silva
- Departamento de Enfermagem, Centro de Ciências da Saúde,, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, Rua General Cordeiro de Faria, S/N. Petrópolis, 59012-570, Natal, Rio Grande do Norte, Brasil
| | - Eliã Pinheiro Botelho
- Universidade Federal do Pará, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Enfermagem, Rua Augusto Correia, 01 - Setor saúde, GuamáBelém, 66075-110, Pará, Brasil.
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