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Beyond Disease Intervention: Exploring an Expanded Role for Partner Services in the MATRix-NC Demonstration Project.
- Source :
-
Sexually Transmitted Diseases . Feb2022, Vol. 49 Issue 2, p93-98. 6p. - Publication Year :
- 2022
-
Abstract
- <bold>Background: </bold>Disease intervention specialists (DIS) provide partner services for sexually transmitted infections (STIs). We assessed an expansion of DIS services for clients with HIV and/or syphilis, and contacts within their social and sexual networks.<bold>Methods: </bold>Black and Latinx cisgender men and transgender women who have sex with men diagnosed with HIV and/or syphilis in 4 urban North Carolina counties were referred to designated DIS, who were trained to recruit clients as "seeds" for chain-referral sampling of sociosexual network "peers." All received HIV/STI testing and care; referrals for preexposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and social, behavioral, and non-STI medical services were offered. Participants completed baseline, 1-month, and 3-month computerized surveys.<bold>Results: </bold>Of 213 cases referred to DIS from May 2018 to February 2020, 42 seeds (25 with syphilis, 17 with HIV) and 50 peers participated. Median age was 27 years; 93% were Black and 86% were cisgender men. Most peers came from seeds' social networks: 66% were friends, 20% were relatives, and 38% were cisgender women. Incomes were low, 41% were uninsured, and 10% experienced recent homelessness. More seeds than peers had baseline PrEP awareness; attitudes were favorable, but utilization was poor. Thirty-seven participants were referred for PrEP 50 times; 17 (46%) accessed PrEP by month 3. Thirty-nine participants received 129 non-PrEP referrals, most commonly for housing assistance, primary care, Medicaid navigation, and food insecurity.<bold>Conclusions: </bold>Chain-referral sampling from partner services clients allowed DIS to access persons with significant medical and social service needs, demonstrating that DIS can support marginalized communities beyond STI intervention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 01485717
- Volume :
- 49
- Issue :
- 2
- Database :
- Academic Search Index
- Journal :
- Sexually Transmitted Diseases
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 154615144
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1097/OLQ.0000000000001544