TY - JOUR
T1 - “Little tablets of gold”
T2 - An examination of the psychological and social dimensions of PrEP among LGBTQ communities
AU - Sun, Christina J.
AU - Anderson, Kirsten M.
AU - Toevs, Kim
AU - Morrison, Dayna
AU - Wells, Caitlin
AU - Nicolaidis, Christina
N1 - Funding Information:
Christina J. Sun, PhD, MS, Kirsten M. Anderson, MSW, MPH, and Christina Nicolaidis, MD, MPH, are affiliated with the School of Public Health, Oregon Health & Science University-Portland State University, Portland, Oregon. Kim Toevs, MPH, is affiliated with Multnomah County Health Department, Portland, Oregon. Dayna Morrison, MPH, is affiliated with Oregon AIDS Education and Training Center at Portland Veterans Affairs Research Foundation, Portland, Oregon. Caitlin Wells, BS, is affiliated with Cascade AIDS Project, Portland, Oregon. Christina Nicolaidis, MD, MPH, is affiliated with the Department of Medicine, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon, and the School of Social Work, Portland State University, Portland, Oregon. This project was supported by grant number K12HS022981 from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. We thank the participants and nPEP/PrEP stakeholder group for their insights and expertise that greatly assisted the research. Address correspondence to Christina J. Sun, PhD, MS, Assistant Professor, Oregon Health & Science University-Portland State University School of Public Health, 506 SW Mill St., Suite 450H, Portland, OR 97201. E-mail: christina.sun@pdx.edu
PY - 2019/2
Y1 - 2019/2
N2 - There are significant psychological, social, and cultural dimensions to the HIV epidemic in the United States, especially among lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) communities. Biomedical HIV treatment has been shown to impact these dimensions. However, there is little understanding of the real-world psychosocial and sociocultural effects of the latest biomedical HIV prevention strategy, HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP). This study explored the psychosocial and sociocultural dimensions of PrEP use among LGBTQ adults. We interviewed 23 LGBTQ adults who were current or former users of PrEP. Results included that PrEP users’ experiences were shaped by multiple forms of stigma. Participants were highly motivated to challenge PrEP stigma and to support PrEP use among other community members. Lastly, participants described positive impacts on their individual well-being and their sexual partnerships. Findings suggest that PrEP has significant impacts beyond biomedical outcomes for both the individuals who use PrEP and their communities.
AB - There are significant psychological, social, and cultural dimensions to the HIV epidemic in the United States, especially among lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) communities. Biomedical HIV treatment has been shown to impact these dimensions. However, there is little understanding of the real-world psychosocial and sociocultural effects of the latest biomedical HIV prevention strategy, HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP). This study explored the psychosocial and sociocultural dimensions of PrEP use among LGBTQ adults. We interviewed 23 LGBTQ adults who were current or former users of PrEP. Results included that PrEP users’ experiences were shaped by multiple forms of stigma. Participants were highly motivated to challenge PrEP stigma and to support PrEP use among other community members. Lastly, participants described positive impacts on their individual well-being and their sexual partnerships. Findings suggest that PrEP has significant impacts beyond biomedical outcomes for both the individuals who use PrEP and their communities.
KW - HIV/AIDS
KW - LGBT
KW - Pre-exposure prophylaxis
KW - Prevention
KW - Social construction
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85061404447&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85061404447&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1521/aeap.2019.31.1.51
DO - 10.1521/aeap.2019.31.1.51
M3 - Article
C2 - 30742478
AN - SCOPUS:85061404447
VL - 31
SP - 51
EP - 62
JO - AIDS Education and Prevention
JF - AIDS Education and Prevention
SN - 0899-9546
IS - 1
ER -