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Background: We implemented a mentored research education and training program for underrepresented minorities (URMs) and Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) predoctoral and postdoctoral fellows called San Diego SUN (SD SUN): Supporting and Uplifting New and Diverse Scientists in HIV Research. The SD SUN program aimed to prepare fellows for an academic career trajectory in HIV science focused on ameliorating HIV-related disparities in communities of color., Setting: The program leveraged a strong interinstitutional collaboration between San Diego State University and the University of California, San Diego, that share commitments to diversity, equity, and inclusion and an established history of training programs for URM/BIPOC investigators., Methods: During a 9-month training period, launched in February 2022, fellows supported by a mentoring team completed ten 3-hour training sessions (core curriculum) and a mentored research project. The curriculum included seminars on building skills for a productive academic research career and reflective discussions around issues uniquely faced by URM/BIPOC investigators. Standardized measures developed for Center for AIDS Research Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Pipeline Initiative (eg, around benefits gained) were used to evaluate the program., Results: Six fellows participated in the SD SUN program. The results demonstrated a successful first year. Fellows were highly engaged and reported positive experiences, satisfaction with their mentor(s), various benefits gained from the program, and gains in numerous skillsets., Conclusions: Challenges were faced during implementation (eg, teaching grant writing to fellows at different skill levels). Time constraints were reported by some faculty mentors with limited bandwidth. We describe insights and solutions to the major challenges to sustaining the successful SD SUN program., Competing Interests: E.V.P. and J.K.S. have received funding from the Center for AIDS Research Equity Inclusion Pipeline Initiative (CDEIPI), and E.V.P., C.K.C., S.A.S., and J.K.S. currently (as of this writing) receive funding from the San Diego Center for AIDS Research (SD CFAR) (P30AI036214). CDEIPI was funded by the NIH through a supplemental award to the District of Columbia Center for AIDS Research (P30AI117970). Preparation of this manuscript was also supported by the San Diego Center for AIDS Research (P30AI036214), a NIDA R25 award to Drs. Zúñiga and Pitpitan (MPIs, R25DA050724), and a NIH FIRST award to SDSU (MPI: Zúñiga, U54CA267789). The remaining authors have no funding or conflicts of interest to disclose., (Copyright © 2023 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: There is an urgent need to increase diversity among scientific investigators in the HIV research field to be more reflective of communities highly affected by the HIV epidemic. Thus, it is critical to promote the inclusion and advancement of early-stage scholars from racial and ethnic groups underrepresented in HIV science and medicine., Methods: To widen the HIV research career pathway for early-stage scholars from underrepresented minority groups, the National Institutes of Health supported the development of the Centers for AIDS Research (CFAR) Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Pathway Initiative (CDEIPI). This program was created through partnerships between CFARs and Historically Black Colleges and Universities and other Minority Serving Institutions throughout the United States., Results: Seventeen CFARs and more than 20 Historically Black Colleges and Universities and Minority Serving Institutions have participated in this initiative to date. Programs were designed for the high school (8), undergraduate (13), post baccalaureate (2), graduate (12), and postdoctoral (4) levels. Various pedagogical approaches were used including didactic seminar series, intensive multiday workshops, summer residential programs, and mentored research internship opportunities. During the first 18 months of the initiative, 257 student scholars participated in CDEIPI programs including 150 high school, 73 undergraduate, 3 post baccalaureate, 27 graduate, and 4 postdoctoral students., Conclusion: Numerous student scholars from a wide range of educational levels, geographic backgrounds, and racial and ethnic minority groups have engaged in CDEIPI programs. Timely and comprehensive program evaluation data will be critical to support a long-term commitment to this unique training initiative., Competing Interests: The authors have no funding or conflicts of interest to disclose., (Copyright © 2023 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: The Centers for AIDS Research Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Pathway Initiative (CDEIPI) aims to establish programs to develop pathways for successful careers in HIV science among scholars from underrepresented racial and ethnic populations. This article describes cross-site evaluation outcomes during the first 18 months (July 2021-December 2022) across 15 programs., Methods: The aims of the evaluation were to characterize participants, describe feasibility, challenges, and successes of the programs and provide a basis for the generalizability of best practices to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs in the United States. Two primary data collection methods were used: a quarterly programmatic monitoring process and a centrally managed, individual-level, participant quantitative and qualitative survey., Results: During the first year of evaluation data collection, 1085 racially and ethnically diverse scholars ranging from the high school to postdoctoral levels applied for CDEIPI programs throughout the United States. Of these, 257 (23.7%) were selected to participate based on program capacity and applicant qualifications. Participants were trained by 149 mentors, teachers, and staff. Of the N = 95 participants responding to the individual-level survey, 95.7% agreed or strongly agreed with statements of satisfaction with the program, 96.8% planned to pursue further education, and 73.7% attributed increased interest in a variety of HIV science topics to the program. Qualitative findings suggest strong associations between mentorship, exposure to scientific content, and positive outcomes., Conclusions: These data provide evidence to support the feasibility and impact of novel DEI programs in HIV research to engage and encourage racially and ethnically diverse scholars to pursue careers in HIV science., Competing Interests: The authors have no funding or conflicts of interest to disclose., (Copyright © 2023 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Latino men who have sex with men (MSM) in San Diego have poor HIV testing and prevention outcomes compared with non-Latino White men. Peer navigation (PN) is a promising evidence-based intervention to reduce disparities but needs tailoring for Latino MSM., Settings: Health centers near the US-Mexico border., Methods: Using the Exploration, Preparation, Implementation, Sustainment Framework, we conducted mixed-methods implementation science study. In phase I, we conducted interviews with Latino men (n = 15), focus groups with staff (n = 7), and surveys with all to understand the Exploration, Preparation, Implementation, Sustainment factors associated with HIV testing and care linkage. In phase II, we conducted 31 web-based surveys with Latino men and staff to rank intervention and implementation strategies from phase I. Quantitative data were analyzed descriptively, integrated with qualitative data, and reviewed by our community-academic partnership to develop an implementation model., Results: Latino men (N = 15) were 94% Spanish speaking, 67% gay identified, 27% US born, and their suggestions were to have navigators use peer referral to address barriers such as stigma; use the Latino social network to expand reach, leverage social media for peer-led intervention, and disseminate HIV information. Staff (N = 26) were 77% Spanish speaking, 35% gay-identified, 96% trained in cultural competency, and suggested including culturally appropriate HIV educational materials in Spanish, status and identity neutral programs, administrative/supervisorial/training structure for PNs, and PN compensation and team integration. Overall, results emphasized a need for a formalized PN model centered on referrals and using existing Latino community social networks., Conclusions: Findings can be packaged for future implementation of PN programs for Latino MSM., Competing Interests: The authors have no conflicts of interest to disclose., (Copyright © 2022 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objective: Despite the efficacy of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) in reducing the risk of HIV infection, uptake remains low among many who are most vulnerable to HIV, such as Black and Latinx women. Interventions that target social networks to encourage at-risk women to initiate PrEP are underused., Design: This study used an egocentric network design and sampled Black/African American and Latinx women at risk of HIV as well as people from their social networks (N = 211) in a small, western city., Methods: Multivariable generalized linear mixed effects regression models investigated individual-level and network-level characteristics associated with likely future PrEP use., Results: PrEP awareness was low, but once informed, 36% considered themselves likely to take it in the future. Perceived risk of HIV, perceived barriers to HIV testing, and participation in a 12-step program increased odds of anticipated PrEP use. A higher proportion of friends in one's network decreased odds of future PrEP use, whereas a higher proportion of network members who tested regularly for HIV increased odds of future PrEP use. A marginally significant interaction was detected between proportion of friends in one's network and proportion of the network perceived to test for HIV regularly (ie, testing norms). When HIV testing norms were low, a higher proportion of friends in the network decreased odds of likely PrEP use. However, this effect was reversed in contexts with strong testing norms., Conclusion: Women who are interested in PrEP may be embedded within social and normative contexts that can foster or inhibit PrEP uptake., Competing Interests: The authors have no conflicts of interest to disclose., (Copyright © 2020 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: In the United States, women represent less than 5% of all pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) users. Social networks may promote and/or inhibit women's PrEP awareness, which could influence PrEP intentions. Furthermore, women experiencing intimate partner violence (IPV) may have smaller, less supportive networks, which could deter or have no impact on PrEP care engagement. This study examined associations between network characteristics and women's PrEP awareness, interest, uptake, and perceived candidacy and analyzed IPV as an effect modifier., Setting/methods: From 2017 to 2018, data were collected from a prospective cohort study of 218 PrEP-eligible women with (n = 94) and without (n = 124) IPV experiences in Connecticut. Women completed surveys on demographics, IPV, social networks, and PrEP care continuum outcomes., Results: Adjusted analyses showed that PrEP awareness related to having more PrEP-aware alters. PrEP intentions related to having more alters with favorable opinions of women's potential PrEP use and a smaller network size. Viewing oneself as an appropriate PrEP candidate related to having more PrEP-aware alters and more alters with favorable opinions of women's potential PrEP use. IPV modified associations between network characteristics and PrEP care. Having members who were aware of and/or used PrEP was positively associated with PrEP care engagement for women without IPV experiences but had either no effect or the opposite effect for women experiencing IPV., Conclusion: Improving PrEP attitudes might improve its utilization among women. Social network interventions might be one way to increase PrEP uptake among many US women but may not be as effective for women experiencing IPV.

This article examines the epidemiology of HIV among selected subgroups of drug users around the world who are "most at risk"--men who have sex with men, female sex workers, prisoners, and mobile populations. The underlying determinants of HIV infection among these populations include stigma, physical and sexual violence, mental illness, social marginalization, and economic vulnerability. HIV interventions must reach beyond specific risk groups and individuals to address the micro-level and macro-level determinants that shape their risk environments. Public health interventions that focus on the physical, social, and health policy environments that influence HIV risk-taking in various settings are significantly more likely to impact the incidence of HIV and other blood-borne and sexually transmitted infections across larger population groups.

Objectives: Recent evidence suggests that it is important to consider behavioral specific sexual violence measures in assessing women's risk behaviors. This study investigated associations of history and types of sexual coercion on HIV risk behaviors in a nationally representative sample of heterosexually active American women., Methods: Analyses were based on 5857 women aged 18-44 participating in the 2002 National Survey of Family Growth. Types of lifetime sexual coercion included: victim given alcohol or drugs, verbally pressured, threatened with physical injury, and physically injured. Associations with HIV risk behaviors were assessed using logistic regression., Results: Of 5857 heterosexually active women, 16.4% reported multiple sex partners and 15.3% reported substance abuse. A coerced first sexual intercourse experience and coerced sex after sexual debut were independently associated with multiple sex partners and substance abuse; the highest risk was observed for women reporting a coerced first sexual intercourse experience. Among types of sexual coercion, alcohol or drug use at coerced sex was independently associated with multiple sex partners and substance abuse., Conclusions: Our findings suggest that public health strategies are needed to address the violent components of heterosexual relationships. Future research should utilize longitudinal and qualitative research to characterize the relationship between continuums of sexual coercion and HIV risk.