Delivering HIV-Positive Test Results via Phone: Who Never Answered? Correlates of Undelivered Reactive HIV Results in a U.S. National Cohort of Sexual and Gender Minority Individuals.

Self-testing for HIV is an accessible, effective testing method for clinical and research contexts. From 2017 to 2022, we conducted annual, mail-in HIV testing with participants in our U.S.

Intravenous Methamphetamine Use, HIV Status and PrEP Uptake Among a U.S. Sample of 29,880 Gender and Sexual Minorities, 2022-2023.

Methamphetamine use is prevalent among sexual and gender minority (SGM) populations and is associated with increased risk for HIV acquisition. Studies are needed to examine the prevalence of intravenous methamphetamine use and explore its association with HIV status and PrEP uptake. Between August 2022-July 2023, 29,880 SGM people who have sex with men in the U.

Insurance Denials And Cost Sharing For PrEP Among Sexual And Gender Minority People.

Despite coverage regulations requiring most insurers to cover pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) without cost sharing, insurance coverage issues and cost-sharing practices persist. In this study, we assessed the prevalence of denials and cost sharing associated with PrEP among sexual and gender minority people in the US. Between August 2022 and July 2023, we recruited, via geosocial networking applications, sexual and gender minority people, who completed a screening survey for an HIV prevention study.

Feasibility of Point-of-Care Urine Self-Testing to Measure Tenofovir Adherence and Predict Viral Suppression.

This study is the first to demonstrate the feasibility of at-home adherence monitoring using a point-of-care urine assay for tenofovir (TFV). Undetectable TFV is strongly associated with lower viral suppression (odds ratio, 0.19, 95% CI, 0.

The American Transformative HIV Study: Protocol for a US National Cohort of Sexual and Gender Minority Individuals With HIV.

Background: Sexual and gender minority (SGM) individuals represent 2%-5% of the US population, yet continue to account for more than two-thirds of new HIV infections annually.

Objective: This study seeks to identify multilevel (ie, structural, psychological, and social) and biobehavioral (ie, rectal cytokines or chemokines) determinants of amplified HIV seroconversion risk for SGM individuals, including those who use methamphetamine.

Methods: The American Transformative HIV Study is an ongoing web-based cohort study of 5364 SGM individuals from all 50 US states and Puerto Rico, enrolled in 2022 and 2023, and will be followed through 2027.

Interest and disparities in awareness and uptake of doxycycline postexposure prophylaxis among US MSM with HIV.

Objective: The CDC recommends doxycycline postexposure prophylaxis (doxyPEP) for MSM with a bacterial sexually transmitted infection (bSTI) in the past year. This study explored determinants of doxyPEP awareness and uptake, and associations with HIV care outcomes, among US MSM with HIV.

Design: Cross-sectional study.

High viral suppression amid demographic disparities: a US national cohort of people with HIV on a popular dating app.

Objective: We sought to determine the prevalence and examine demographic disparities of viral suppression (VS, <200 copies/ml) and awareness of VS status among people with HIV (PWH) on a popular geosocial networking/dating application (GSN-app).

Design: Cross-sectional, observational study.

Methods: US adult PWH were remotely-recruited through a GSN-app to complete a survey from January-September 2024.

Correlates of Using Antibiotics to Prevent Sexually Transmitted Infections Among Cisgender Sexual Minority Men and Transgender Women.

Prophylactic antibiotics are effective prevention strategies for sexually transmitted infections. This analysis explored preventative antibiotic use among cisgender sexual minority men and transgender women. Data were collected from August 2022 to July 2023.

Navigating payment and policy barriers to gender-affirming care for transmasculine individuals: A qualitative study and policy assessment.

Over the past decade, access to and insurance coverage for gender-affirming medical and surgical treatment for transgender (trans) individuals in the U.S. has improved.

Gay and Bisexual Men's Perceptions about a Potential HIV Vaccine within a Post-COVID-19 Era: A Qualitative Study.

To end the HIV epidemic, there is need for targeted strategies to reduce HIV incidence for those most vulnerable, including an HIV vaccine. This study seeks to understand the perceptions that non-PrEP using gay and bisexual men and other men who have sex with men (GBMSM) have about a potential HIV vaccine, while contextualizing their perspectives within the context of heightened vaccine hesitancy that has emerged since the COVID-19 pandemic. Between March and May of 2022, GBMSM (N = 20) participated in in-depth interviews, which assessed their perceptions about an HIV vaccine.

Factors associated with PrEP-era HIV seroconversion in a 4-year U.S. national cohort of n = 6059 sexual and gender minority individuals who have sex with men, 2017-2022.

Introduction: Community-based cohort studies of HIV seroconversion can identify important avenues for enhancing HIV prevention efforts in the era of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP). Within individuals, one can assess exposure and outcome variables repeatedly and with increased certainty regarding temporal ordering. This cohort study examined the association of several risk factors with subsequent HIV seroconversion.

Perceptions about doxycycline post-exposure prophylaxis (Doxy-PEP) as an STI-prevention strategy among gay and bisexual men (GBM) in the United States: Results from a qualitative study.

Objective: To leverage qualitative data to explore gay and bisexual men's (GBM) perceptions about doxycycline post-exposure prophylaxis (Doxy-PEP). Doxy-PEP is a novel biomedical STI-prevention strategy that helps reduce the risk of acquiring bacterial STIs. Little is known about Doxy-PEP's acceptability in the U.

PrEP Discontinuation In A US National Cohort Of Sexual And Gender Minority Populations, 2017-22.

In the US, sexual and gender minority populations are disproportionately affected by HIV. Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is a key prevention method, but its effectiveness relies on consistent usage. Our four-year national cohort study explored PrEP discontinuation among sexual and gender minority people who initiated PrEP.

PrEP Uptake and Methamphetamine Use Patterns in a 4-Year U.S. National Prospective Cohort Study of Sexual and Gender Minority People, 2017-2022.

Methamphetamine use is on the rise among sexual and gender minority people who have sex with men (SGMSM), escalating their HIV risk. Despite pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) being an effective biomedical HIV prevention tool, its uptake in relation to methamphetamine use patterns in SGMSM has not been studied. In a U.

Sexual and Gender Minorities' Vaccine Uptake and Behavioral Change in Response to the Mpox Outbreak in the United States: August 2022 Through November 2022.

Background: In the summer of 2022, the United States faced a nationwide outbreak of mpox, with cases concentrated in sexual and gender minorities who have sex with men. Understanding rates of mpox vaccine uptake and concomitant behavioral change is essential to guide the implementation of targeted public health responses to the potential reemergence of mpox.

Methods: Between August 2022 and November 2022, 8551 individuals recruited via geosocial networking apps completed a brief survey that assessed mpox vaccine uptake, intentions to get a mpox vaccine, and behavioral change.

Changes in Health Insurance During COVID-19 Among a U.S. National Cohort of Cisgender Gay and Bisexual Men and Transgender Individuals.

The extant data suggest that LGBT communities were disproportionately impacted by the economic ramifications of the pandemic and were more likely to report being uninsured throughout the first two years of the pandemic. Additionally, these groups are at heightened vulnerability for several health conditions that require insurance to manage or prevent. Thus, there is a need to assess changes in pandemic-era insurance coverage among these populations.

Experiences of police-related stress among a U.S. national cohort of gay and bisexual men.

Marginalized groups (including people of Color and sexual minorities) have been over-policed and specifically targeted based on their race/ethnicity and identity. The deleterious effects of over-policing marginalized groups include overrepresentation in the carceral system, experiencing higher rates of violence from police, and extend to affect mental health and stress levels. This study examines police-related stress among a U.

'You have to trust their word': transmasculine experiences with sex partners and safety during the early COVID-19 outbreak.

The early months of the SARS-CoV2 pandemic exacerbated health disparities for vulnerable populations, including transgender (trans) communities, creating unique challenges for navigating sex and dating. This paper aims to expand upon the current literature regarding transmasculine populations by capturing their lived experiences during this critical time. We interviewed 20 assigned female sex at birth (AFAB) adults of the transmasculine spectrum - men, nonbinary, and transmasculine individuals - about their social and sexual experiences in the USA in May and June 2020.

Changes in Cost and Insurance Challenges to Cover PrEP Between 2019 and 2021.

Introduction: Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) use continues lag estimated need among gay and bisexual men in the United States. Studies report that challenges paying for PrEP may undermine continued use. Our study aimed to measure these challenges over time.

The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on HIV-Positive Men Who Have Sex With Men: (Dis)connection to Social, Sexual, and Health Networks.

The COVID-19 pandemic has disproportionately affected HIV-positive cisgender men who have sex with men (MSM). Between May and June in 2020, we conducted one-on-one semi-structured qualitative interviews with 20 HIV-positive MSM aiming to describe their (dis)connection to social, sexual, and health networks during the COVID-19 pandemic. All participants relied on social support networks to manage pandemic-based distress, using computer-mediated communication as well as physical proximity.

Health and Access to Gender-Affirming Care During COVID-19: Experiences of transmasculine individuals and men assigned female sex at birth.

Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, global research has suggested that the pandemic has negatively affected lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer or questioning (LGBTQ) populations, including by limiting health care access. There is little research on the impact of COVID-19 among transmasculine persons and men assigned female sex at birth (AFAB) in the United States, who face unique health care challenges outside of the pandemic context. Between May and June of 2020, 20 transmasculine individuals and AFAB men who have sex with men participated in semi-structured interviews about their experiences during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Sex in the Era of COVID-19 in a U.S. National Cohort of Cisgender Men, Transgender Women, and Transgender Men Who Have Sex with Men: April-May 2020.

Since the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been an increasing body of research focused on the effects that measures like stay-at-home orders and social distancing are having on other aspects of health, including mental health and sexual health. Currently, there are limited extant data on the effects of the pandemic on sexual and gender minorities. Between April 15, 2020, and May 15, 2020, we invited participants in an ongoing U.