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Because use of geosocial-networking smartphone applications ('apps') is ubiquitous among men who have sex with men (MSM), online-to-offline service models that include advertisements on these apps may improve engagement with effective HIV prevention and treatment services. Through our formative qualitative study, we conducted individual in-depth interviews (n = 30) and focus group discussions (n = 18) with MSM in Rhode Island to develop a digital social marketing campaign aimed at increasing HIV testing, including how best to reach men by advertising on apps. Qualitative data analysis revealed that participants were frequently exposed to pop-up advertisements on apps. These advertisements are viewed as invasive and, as such, many expressed a preference for other formats (e.g., direct messages, banner advertisements). Men expressed a preference for provocative images and phrases to catch their attention followed with fact-driven messaging to motivate them to engage with services offline. Findings from this study offer several practical recommendations for developing a social marketing campaign that uses advertisements on apps to increase HIV testing among MSM, including using formats other than pop-up advertisements and pairing fact-driven messaging with eye-catching images to direct them to trusted local clinical services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) has the potential to significantly reduce HIV incidence among men who have sex with men (MSM) in the United States. However, the extent to which suboptimal PrEP adherence and retention in care may limit successful implementation is unknown. An agent-based model was used to represent the entire population of MSM in Rhode Island from 2013 to 2017. The impact of potential interventions to improve PrEP adherence and retention in care on HIV transmission was evaluated. Demographics, behaviors, and PrEP adherence and retention in care rates were based on local clinical data. We assumed that 20% of HIV-negative MSM had ever taken PrEP. The primary outcome was HIV incidence over the 5-year period. The model included 23,815 MSM with an estimated 4.1% HIV prevalence based on local surveillance data. An estimated 173.1 new infections occurred over 5 years [95% simulation interval (SI): 171.5–174.7], including 29.1 new infections among individuals who had ever initiated PrEP (95% SI: 28.6–29.7). Interventions that improved retention in PrEP care by an odds of 5.0 compared with the base case maximized reductions in HIV incidence among MSM who had ever initiated PrEP by 37.5%. Interventions focusing on improving PrEP adherence had little to no effect on HIV incidence, regardless of intervention efficacy. Retention in care is a critical component of the PrEP care continuum. Interventions that improve retention in PrEP care may lead to greater reductions in population-level HIV incidence compared with interventions focused exclusively on adherence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Patterns of HIV transmission vary widely across demographic groups. Identifying and engaging these groups are necessary to prevent new infections and diagnose disease among people who are unaware of their infection. The objective of this study was to determine characteristics of newly diagnosed individuals across an entire state to determine patterns of HIV transmission. Methods: We evaluated data on people with new HIV diagnoses in Rhode Island from 2013 through 2015. We performed a latent class analysis (LCA) to identify underlying demographic and behavioral characteristics of people with newly diagnosed HIV. Results: Of 167 people with new HIV diagnoses interviewed in Rhode Island from 2013 through 2015, 132 (79%) were male, 84 (50%) were nonwhite, 112 (67%) were men who have sex with men (MSM), 112 (67%) were born in the United States, and 61 (37%) were born in Rhode Island. LCA revealed 2 major classes. Of the 98 people in class 1,96% were male, 85% were MSM, 80% were white, 94% were born in the United States, and 80% believed they acquired HIV in Rhode Island. Class 2 was 63% male and 69% Hispanic/Latino; 29% were born in the United States, and 61% believed they acquired HIV in Rhode Island. Conclusions: Most new HIV diagnoses in Rhode Island were among MSM born in the United States, and a substantial number were likely infected in-state. People with newly diagnosed HIV who were foreign-born, including Hispanic/Latino and heterosexual groups, were less likely to have acquired HIV in Rhode Island than were MSM. HIV prevention approaches, including pre-exposure prophylaxis, should be adapted to the needs of specific groups. Rhode Island offers lessons for other states focused on eliminating HIV transmission. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We describe changes in sexual behaviors among men who have sex with men (MSM) following initiation of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) in a clinic-based sample of MSM initiating PrEP in Providence, Rhode Island. Data were collected at baseline, 3, and 6 months following PrEP initiation including total number of anal sex partners and condom use. A longitudinal mixed effects model assessed changes in number of partners and condom use over time, adjusting for age, race, and education. There was no statistically significant difference in total number of partners over time. There was a significant increase in number of condomless anal sex partners at the 6-month visit compared to baseline (mean change +1.31 partners, 95% confidence interval 0.09-2.53, P = 0.035). As condomless anal sex may increase following PrEP uptake, adherence counseling and efforts to retain patients in PrEP care, especially during periods of non-condom use, are important as PrEP is more widely implemented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Several studies suggest that the increase in sexually transmitted infections (STIs) among men who have sex with men (MSM) could be due, in part, to human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) risk reduction strategies, which include engaging in oral sex over anal sex. The aims of this study were to evaluate oral sex behaviors and STI diagnoses and to investigate the potential dual role of oral sex as being protective for HIV, yet perpetuating STI transmission among MSM. We analyzed records from 871 MSM presenting to the Rhode Island STI Clinic between 2012 and 2015. We compared outcomes in men engaging in two HIV protective oral sex behaviors: (1) HIV/STI outcomes by men engaging only in oral sex versus those that did not, and (2) HIV/STI outcomes by men engaging in condomless oral sex with 100% condom use for all other sex acts versus those that did not. Men engaging in HIV protective oral sex behaviors were more likely to be HIV negative compared to men not engaging in them (99% vs. 93%, p < 0.01). In contrast, there was no significant difference in STI diagnoses between those that engaged in HIV protective oral sex behaviors and those that did not. The findings provide evidence to support the unique duality of oral sex: decreased risk for HIV and perpetuation of STI risk. Promotion of routine STI testing, including extragenital sites, is critical to address STI prevention among MSM. In the age of HIV prevention, addressing the ambiguous risks of discrete sex acts would be beneficial for both HIV and STI prevention education for MSM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]