Engagement of African American MSM in HIV Prevention

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.