EHQUIDAD最新文献

Objective: Young gay, bisexual, and other MSM (men who have sex with men) and transgender women in the United States (US) who are living with HIV, and particularly those who are Latino, have low rates of viral suppression. The weCare intervention uses social media to increase HIV care engagement.

Method: We used community-based participatory research to develop the intervention as well as theory-based social media messages tailored to each participant's unique context. We analyzed elements and characteristics of weCare, messages sent by the Cyber Health Educator (CHE), and lessons learned to meet the needs of Latino participants living with HIV.

Results: We identified 6 core elements, 5 key characteristics, effective social media messages used in implementation, and 8 important lessons regarding relationships between the CHE and HIV clinics, the CHE and participants, and participants and the health system.

Conclusions: Social media offers a promising platform to retain young Latino gay bisexual and other MSM and transgender women living with HIV in care and achieve viral suppression.

Introduction: Phylogenetic analyses can provide insights on HIV tansmission dynamics. Country and state-level differences in HIV criminalization and disclosure laws and advances in next generation sequencing could impact perceived study risks.

Methods: We present study opt-out rates and the reasons provided during enrollment for a study conducted in Boston (6/2017-8/2018).

Results: Of 90 patients approached to participate, 45 did not consent to participate. Reasons for not participating included unwillingness to discuss their HIV status, privacy and confidentiality concerns, disinterest, and lack of time.

Conlusions: Given low participation rates and concerns related to HIV disclosure, privacy, and confidentiality, these questions remain (1) should informed consent be required for all phylogenetic analyses, including deidentified and surveillance data? (2) what additional steps can researchers take to protect the privacy of individuals, particularly in contexts where HIV is criminalized or there have been civil/criminal cases investigating HIV transmission? And (3) what role can community members play to minimize the potential risks, particularly for those most marginalized? These questions require input from both researchers and community members living with HIV/AIDS.

Latinx men who have sex with men (MSM) continue to be disproportionately impacted by HIV/AIDS. Identifying the role of multiple syndemic factors associated with sexual risk behaviors is imperative in order to develop effective prevention and treatment strategies. Cross-sectional data for this study were derived from three cycles of the Philadelphia portion of the National HIV Behavioral Surveillance System. This study explored the impact of syndemic factors - heavy drinking, exchange sex, and homophobic discrimination - on sexual HIV risk behaviors, operationalized as number of male partners, and condomless anal intercourse (CAI) with main and casual partners among Latinx MSM (n=464). Analyses took two forms: a syndemic approach, using the cumulative number of conditions as an independent variable; and a non-syndemic approach, incorporating each condition as a unique factor. In multivariable syndemic analyses, participants with two or more factors reported more male partners and more CAI casual male partners than those with none. In non-syndemic models, homophobic discrimination and exchange sex were significantly positively associated with total number of male partners, while heavy drinking was associated with more casual CAI partners. Quantitative results indicate that syndemic and non-syndemic approaches vary in their relative capacity to account for sexual risk among Latinx MSM.

The study of tuberculosis (TB) in the U.S.-Mexico border involves the consideration of three key components, which are complex and interrelated: the difficulty tracking and providing appropriate TB care due to the epidemiological and pathological characteristics of TB; the border itself is a geographical and epidemiological area that interweaves two nations, two cultures, two health systems and different laws; and the need for prevention and treatment approaches to TB that involve comprehensive clinical care and prevention while also taking into consideration stigma, social context and knowledge. This manuscript describes the work of ten studies conducted in Mexico and in the U.S.-Mexico border region from 2006 to 2013. It also provides an understanding of the social and public health implications of TB, the environment and communities, as well as the identification and application of advocacy and social mobilization practices. The work presented provides an understanding of different interventions related to adherence, stigma reduction, person-centered approaches, and effective micro and macro practices in social work.

Sexual and gender identity minorities in Guatemala are disproportionally affected by HIV and other sexually transmitted infections (STI). However, little is known about the health determinants among these minorities that contribute to infection risk. Health researchers from the United States and Guatemala sought to explore sexual health needs and identify characteristics of HIV/STI prevention programs for these minorities.Our partnership conducted 8 focus groups with gay and bisexual men, men who have sex with men, and transgender women; and 10 in-depth interviews with community leaders. We analyzed transcripts of the focus groups and in-depth interviews using constant comparison.We identified 24 factors that influence sexual health which we organized into 5 ecological domains and 16 characteristics of potentially successful programs to reduce HIV/STI risk.The identification of sexual risk factors and characteristics of potentially successful programs offers great potential to develop interventions to help reduce the risk of HIV/STI infection among these minorities in Guatemala.

The HIV epidemic is a serious and pervasive health issue in the Latino community. While prevention efforts have helped maintain stability in the overall number of infections among Latinos for more than a decade, this population continues to be affected by HIV at high levels. In particular, Predominantly Spanish-speaking Latino men who have sex with men (MSM) are disproportionately impacted by HIV. Several factors contribute to the HIV epidemic among Predominantly Spanish-speaking Latino MSM including substance use; intimate partner violence; the presence of certain STIs; same-sex relationship dynamics; avoidance of seeking testing counseling and treatment out of fear of discrimination and immigration status; and poverty, migration patterns, and language barriers. In particular, epidemiological behavioral research has identified how relationship dynamics in male couples are associated with sexual risk behavior. Consequently, further research is needed to identify and deliver interventions geared toward couple-based risk reduction among men in same-sex relationships. This paper describes the potential significance that innovative couple-based approaches can have on reducing HIV and AIDS cases among Predominantly Spanish-speaking Latino MSM and their same-sex partners.