Development of Gender Specific Interventions to Enhance Salivary Rapid HIV Testing in African Americans

Background: Annually, African Americans (AA) account for at least half of the approximately 40,000 individuals who test positive for HIV. The lifetime risk for being diagnosed with HIV is 1 in 16 and 1 in 30 for AA men and women respectively. Increasing initial and follow-up testing for early diagnosis and linkage to care are critical to alleviating HIV related disparities. Methods: Nyamathi's Comprehensive Health Seeking and Coping Paradigm framed this qualitative study and guided focus groups consisting of 22 AA men and 16 AA women who attended an STI clinic. Data were analyzed using thematic content analysis yielding eight themes. A subsequent gender sub analysis was performed. Results: Main themes of familiarity, stigma, fear, access, immediacy, ease, degree of responsibility, and trust were generated and the gender sub analysis resulted in themes of health maintenance for women and illness management for men. Sub themes were stoicism and anger in women and men respectively. Conclusions: The findings provided a basis for the development of a tailored intervention to enhance HIV testing rates and decrease HIV risk behaviors in AA men and women. Thus, a peer-led, technology-based intervention that incorporates gender specific persuasive messaging has been developed and will be discussed