Online Program

336229
Engagement of African American MSM in HIV Prevention


Tuesday, November 3, 2015

Jason Coleman, PhD, MSPH, School of Health, Physical Education, and Recreation, University of Nebraska at Omaha, Omaha, NE
Justin Holes, BSPH, School of Health, Physical Education, and Recreation, University of Nebraska at Omaha, Omaha, NE
Background:  African American MSM experience disproportionate rates of HIV infection when compared to other racial groups.  Surveillance data indicate that MSM have the highest percentage increase of new HIV cases in Nebraska and in the US.  Historical, social, and contextual factors often function as  barriers to engaging African American MSM in HIV prevention.  The purpose of this study was to explore and examine facilitators and barriers to this engagement in a Midwestern city.

Methods:  Data for this study were generated from a community engagement project which relied on a group of community advisors/navigators.  Navigators worked with investigators to identify key informants from the local community.  Two focus groups were conducted with key informants to explore facilitators and barriers to engagement in HIV prevention among African American MSM.  Focus group transcripts were analyzed using a grounded theory approach to allow categories and concepts to emerge and remain grounded in the words of the participants.  Results were shared with navigators and community members for feedback and validation.

Results:   Facilitators for involvement included feeling a sense of responsibility to the community, desire to provide education to the community and knowing someone living with HIV.  Barriers to involvement included the notion that “ignorance is bliss,” lack of comfort in discussing HIV/AIDS, not wanting to be associated with HIV/AIDS, and lack of knowledge about where to access services.

Conclusions:  Results of this study demonstrated that there is an ongoing need to develop innovative strategies to engage African American MSM in HIV prevention.

Learning Areas:

Planning of health education strategies, interventions, and programs
Public health or related research
Social and behavioral sciences

Learning Objectives:
Identify facilitators and barriers for engagement of African American MSM in HIV Prevention in a Midwestern city. List new strategies for developing future interventions to engage African American MSM in HIV Prevention

Keyword(s): HIV/AIDS, Community-Based Partnership & Collaboration

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I conducted the primary research and am an expert in community-based HIV prevention.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

Back to: 4279.0: People Living With HIV/AIDS