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The amount and type of information individuals receive about HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) may influence PrEP uptake. We surveyed 331 HIV-negative sexual and gender minorities who have sex with men at a Midwestern Pride festival in 2018 (Mage = 32, 68% White, 87% cisgender men) to assess sources and perceived tone of PrEP information and associated outcomes. Most participants (88%) had heard about PrEP. The most common sources were the internet (70%), social media (59%), and friends (54%). Messages from health campaigns were perceived as most positive and those from religious institutions as least positive. Sources differed based on demographics. Controlling for indications for PrEP use, those who heard about PrEP from health campaigns and those who heard more positive messages reported lower levels of PrEP stigma, βs = −0.27––0.23, ps <.05. Non-users who heard about PrEP from the internet had stronger intentions to use PrEP, β = 0.28, p <.05. Those who heard about PrEP from sexual partners and health campaigns were more likely to discuss PrEP with providers, PRs = 1.60–1.80, ps <.01. Finally, those who heard about PrEP from friends and partners were more likely to use PrEP, PRs = 2.01–2.24, ps <.05. Leveraging sexual partners, social network members, and health campaigns are promising avenues to advance PrEP implementation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Most people living with HIV (PLH) in the United States are over age 50 and this sector of PLH continues to grow. Aging with HIV can be challenging due to comorbid medical conditions, mental health disorders, substance use, and lack of social and practical support. Additional challenges are faced by older PLH living in the rural United States, such as longer distances to health care, concerns over privacy and stigma, and social isolation. PLH in rural areas have higher mortality rates than urban PLH. We aimed to understand factors associated with HIV care engagement and quality of life in rural US adults over age 50. Methods: We conducted a cross‐sectional study to evaluate the association between patient‐level factors and a combined outcome variable encompassing multiple aspects of care engagement. Findings: Either online or on paper, 446 participants completed our survey. One‐third of the participants (33%) were from the southern United States; one‐third were women; one‐third were non‐White; and 24% completed the survey on paper. In multiple regression analysis, lower income, residing in the southern United States, lacking internet access at home, not having an HIV specialist provider, higher levels of stress, living alone, and longer distance to an HIV provider were all associated with lower engagement in HIV care. Conclusions: Our findings demonstrated multiple potential options for interventions that could improve care engagement, such as providing and enhancing access to technology for health care engagement and remotely delivering social support and mental health services. Research on such potential interventions is needed for older, rural PLH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Rural older people living with HIV (PLH) in the United States are a population of growing size and significance. A better understanding of factors associated with quality of life (QOL), depressive symptoms, and stress in this population—especially modifiable factors—could inform future interventions. Methods: Online or on paper, we surveyed 446 PLH aged 50+ residing in rural counties across the United States (Mage = 56, 67% male, 67% White, and 23% Black). Associations between social support, HIV stigma, satisfaction with medical care, discrimination in health care settings, and structural barriers and health‐related QOL, depressive symptoms, and perceived stress were assessed using multiple linear regressions. Findings: Controlling for demographics, greater social support was associated with better QOL, fewer depressive symptoms, and less stress. Greater HIV stigma was associated with more depressive symptoms and stress. Satisfaction with care was associated with better QOL and less stress. Discrimination in medical settings was associated with lower QOL and more depressive symptoms and stress. Finally, experiencing more structural barriers was associated with lower QOL and more depressive symptoms and stress. Conclusions: In addition to engagement in care and viral suppression, QOL and mental health are also critical considerations for rural older PLH. Increasing social support, reducing or providing skills to cope with HIV stigma, improving quality of care, reducing discrimination and stigma in medical settings, and reducing or mitigating the impact of structural barriers present potential targets for interventions aiming to improve the well‐being of older rural PLH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) created life‐disrupting stressors that disproportionately burden disadvantaged communities with devastating impacts that extend far beyond the burden of the disease itself, including joblessness, housing and food insecurity, educational system upheavals, isolation due to disrupted relationships, worsened mental health and substance use and violence. Socially interconnected community members are resources whose efforts can be mobilised to improve COVID‐19 coping within their social networks. This research examined the feasibility, acceptability, and reach of a social media‐based peer influencer intervention for COVID‐19 coping. Over a 9‐month period in 2020, the project enrolled 1253 social influencers in Milwaukee—primarily ethnic and racial minorities—who regularly received and passed along messages to members of their social networks that provided advice about COVID‐19 pandemic coping, economic survival, health protection, mental health, family needs, social justice and other impacts. Messages were shared by influencers with others over social media and also text messages, phone calls and conversations. Facebook social media tracking metrics objectively measured the community reach of social influencers' messages. Quantitative surveys and qualitative follow‐up interviews with a subset of influencers also measured the feasibility and acceptability of the intervention. Social media monitoring metrics showed that, by the end of the project, influencers' messages reached an average of 7978 unique individuals per week and had an average of 13,894 total views per week, with more than 140,000 total cumulative organic impressions. More than half of social influencers indicated that—beyond Facebook message sharing—they shared COVID‐19 prevention, care, and coping messages with social network members in conversations, phone calls and text messages. Social influencers reported that they valued having the opportunity to help community members to cope with pandemic stressors by conveying practical COVID‐19 coping advice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is a growing population of ageing individuals living with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Older adults living with HIV often contend with intersecting stigmas including HIV stigma, ageism and, for some, homonegativity and/or racism. Although the HIV stigma literature is quite robust, research on the relationship between HIV stigma, social support and mental wellbeing among older adults living with HIV is limited. This study begins to address this gap by examining how intersectional stigma affects social support and mental wellbeing among rural-dwelling older adults living with HIV. Qualitative interviews were conducted by phone with 29 older adults living with HIV, over the age of 50, living in rural areas of the United States of America. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and analysed using thematic content analysis in MAXQDA qualitative analysis software. Analysis revealed three primary themes. The first had to do with gossip and non-disclosure of HIV status, which intersected with ageism and homonegativity to exacerbate experiences that fell within the remaining themes of experiences of physical and psychological isolation and loneliness, and shame and silence surrounding depression. The prevalence of social isolation and the effects of limited social support among older adults living with HIV are prominent and indicate a need for tailored interventions within the HIV care continuum for older adults living with HIV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Failures in prior roll-out of HIV prevention efforts have widened disparities in HIV incidence by race/ethnicity among young sexual minoritized men (YSMM). We hypothesized greater perceptions of medical mistrust would be associated with lower willingness to get an HIV vaccine, mediating the relationship between race/ethnicity and willingness to accept a future HIV vaccine., Methods: HIV-negative and unknown-status YSMM 17-24 years old (n = 229) recruited via social media and men-for-men networking apps completed online surveys from September 2021 to March 2022. Participants were asked about demographics, medical mistrust (healthcare-related sexual orientation stigma, healthcare-related race stigma, global medical mistrust, and trust in healthcare providers), and willingness to accept a future HIV vaccine., Results: Vaccine willingness was highest among White YSMM (96.0%) and lower among Black (71.0%), Latino (83.6%), and multiracial or another race/ethnicity YSMM (80.0%). Even after accounting for medical mistrust constructs as mediators, compared to White participants, Black participants had lower odds of being willing to accept a future HIV vaccine. Participants with greater trust in healthcare providers had higher odds of willingness to accept a future HIV vaccine., Discussion: Gaps in willingness to get an HIV vaccine are evident among YSMM by race/ethnicity, indicating potential further widening of disparities in HIV incidence when a vaccine becomes available without intervention., Competing Interests: Conflicts of Interest: The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.)