Objectives: Sexual and gender minority (SGM) communities at increased risk of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) may be underprescribed preexposure prophylaxis (PrEP), but PrEP research on SGM communities other than transgender women and cisgender men who have sex with men is limited. We sought to better understand SGM individuals' vulnerability to HIV acquisition and awareness and perceptions of PrEP in North Carolina, with a focus on SGM groups less often included in research.
Methods: We administered a 37-item online survey to adult SGM participants, examining differences in perceived and behavioral HIV risk based on self-reported behaviors.
Guatemalan gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (GBMSM) and transgender women experience profound HIV disparities, with prevalence rates far exceeding those of the general population. Limited access to and suboptimal use of HIV prevention and treatment services hinder progress towards the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV and AIDS goal to end the epidemic by 2030. Our binational community-based participatory research partnership developed a blueprint of twelve recommendations to reduce HIV disparities in Guatemala.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAlthough nearly half of Guatemalans identify as Indigenous, little is known about the unique health experiences of Indigenous sexual minority individuals. We sought to explore how intersectional stigma impacts the health of Indigenous gay and bisexual men (GBM) in Guatemala. Between February and May 2021, we conducted in-depth qualitative interviews via Zoom with key stakeholders ( = 12) working with Indigenous GBM throughout Guatemala.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFHealth Educ Behav
December 2023
Globally, gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (GBMSM) are disproportionately affected by HIV, but few interventions address mental health and HIV outcomes among GBMSM living with HIV. The purpose of this study was to pilot a multicomponent intervention, integrating emotional well-being (EW) and health navigation for GBMSM living with HIV in Guatemala City. We implemented a 12-month intervention, including a four-session EW component and a health navigation component among newly diagnosed and reengaged GBMSM with HIV ( = 112).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBlack gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (BMSM) in the US South are disproportionately impacted by HIV. We adapted Project Strength Through Youth Livin' Empowered (STYLE) to create STYLE 2.0 to assist young BMSM link and remain engaged in HIV care.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWe explored how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected the health and wellbeing of Indigenous gay and bisexual men (GBM) in Guatemala, a group that experiences intersectional stigma and structural barriers to health. Between February and May 2021, we conducted in-depth qualitative interviews via Zoom with key stakeholders ( = 11) working with Indigenous GBM throughout Guatemala. We coded thematically and conducted narrative analysis to identify the most salient themes.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMental health problems, including anxiety and depression, are a common comorbidity among gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men (GBMSM) living with HIV. Informed by social support theory, health navigation is a strengths-based intervention that has been demonstrated to improve HIV care outcomes. The purpose of this study was to explore how health navigation influences the mental health of GBMSM living with HIV.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFGay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men are disproportionately affected by HIV in Guatemala; interpersonal violence may increase behaviours that augment the risk of HIV in this group. Although 44% of Guatemalans identify as Indigenous, little information exists on the experiences of Indigenous sexual minority individuals. In this study, we sought to compare different forms of violence and HIV-related behaviours by Indigenous identity among gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men; and determine if associations between violence and HIV-related behaviours differed by Indigenous identity.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFTransgender (trans) women living with HIV experience suboptimal care and treatment outcomes. We adapted a multilevel intervention to improve HIV outcomes and overall well-being among trans women sex workers living with HIV. The intervention, called (AP; Opening Doors), included: individual counseling, peer navigation, and community mobilization "open houses.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWhile gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men are most affected by HIV in Cuba, infections among women have increased over time, but there has been little research to contextualise their vulnerability to HIV. The purpose of this study was to explore the role of gender and violence in shaping vulnerability to HIV among Cuban women. Qualitative in-depth interviews were conducted with women living with HIV at an outpatient HIV clinic in Havana.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) can reduce HIV transmission among gay and bisexual men (GBM). However, stigma can inhibit disclosure of PrEP use, which may limit uptake. This study's purpose was to explore PrEP disclosure experiences and how disclosure is associated with PrEP adherence among GBM at a sexual health clinic in Guatemala City.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFGay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (GBMSM) are disproportionately affected by mental health problems and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Health navigation has the potential to improve both HIV and mental health outcomes; however, few studies have measured the impact of navigation on mental health among people living with HIV. We analyzed longitudinal data from a sociobehavioral survey and navigation monitoring system with GBMSM living with HIV in Guatemala ( = 346) that participated in a 12-month differentiated care intervention.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFGay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (MSM) are disproportionately affected by poor mental health compared to their heterosexual counterparts. One factor that may increase mental health problems among MSM is intimate partner violence (IPV) victimization. The objectives of this study are to (a) describe the prevalence of different forms of IPV victimization experienced by MSM living with HIV in Guatemala City and (b) examine the relationship between IPV victimization and mental health.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe purpose of this study was to improve understanding of the relationship between employment and retention in HIV care among gay and bisexual men and transgender women in Guatemala. We interviewed gay and bisexual men ( = 18) and transgender women ( = 9) receiving care at HIV clinics in three Guatemalan cities. Thematic coding and narrative analysis were used to describe employment experiences and identify employment factors that enabled or hindered retention within the broader context of participants' lives.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFHealth navigation is increasingly being used to support people living with HIV, but timely monitoring of navigation is challenging due to the burden of reporting a high volume of diverse activities. We designed a mobile application (app) for navigators to report their interactions with men who have sex with men living with HIV (= 374), including: (1) mode of support; (2) content; and (3) duration. We assessed sociodemographic and behavioral characteristics of the study sample and calculated monitoring system indicators.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjective: Latino men who have sex with men (MSM) are disproportionately affected by HIV in the US and only half of Latinos diagnosed with HIV are virally suppressed. Little is known about the determinants of HIV care and treatment outcomes among Latinos. We used theories of intersectionality to assess the HIV testing, care and treatment experiences of gay Latino men living with HIV in a new immigrant destination.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFGay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men face both high levels of violence and a disproportionate burden of poor health outcomes. We explored violence perpetrated against Salvadoran gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men by public security forces; perceived motivations of violence; and impacts on health. We conducted structured qualitative interviews with 20 participants and used systematic coding and narrative analysis to identify emergent themes.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFViolence Gend
March 2019
Transgender (trans) women experience gender-based violence (GBV) throughout their lives, which impedes their access to services and contributes to poor health outcomes and quality of life. To inform policies and health programs, trans women worked with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID)- and President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR)-supported LINKAGES project, the United Nations Development Programme, The University of the West Indies, and local organizations to document experiences of GBV and transphobia in healthcare, education, and police encounters. Trans women conducted 74 structured interviews with other trans women in El Salvador, Trinidad and Tobago, Barbados, and Haiti in 2016.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAIDS Behav
April 2019
We piloted a health navigation strategy to promote timely linkage to care among men who have sex with men (MSM) and transgender women (TW) recently diagnosed with HIV in Guatemala City. We used a mixed-methods approach, integrating quantitative data collected during clinic visits and qualitative data from in-depth interviews, to characterize acceptability of navigation and time to linkage, defined as having the first clinical care visit. Out of 54 participants who enrolled in the pilot (n = 52 MSM; n = 2 TW), 50 (92.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMen who have sex with men (MSM) are disproportionately affected by HIV in Guatemala and may benefit from health navigation programs designed to support timely linkage to HIV care. We conducted qualitative in-depth interviews with MSM (n = 19) linked to care within days of their diagnosis with the support of a health navigator. We used narrative analysis and systematic coding to identify themes related to HIV diagnosis and experiences with navigators.
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