Healthcare worker perspectives on HIV status sharing intervention components for partnered, Black sexual minority men in South Africa.

Abstract

Background: Globally, there is suboptimal coverage of antiretroviral treatment to treat and prevent HIV. It is crucial for individuals to know their partner's HIV status so they may use all appropriate and available prevention tools. For sexual minority men in South Africa, a population known to face intersecting forms of marginalization including a disparate burden of HIV incidence, there are challenges to status sharing.

Objective: We explore perspectives of healthcare workers (HCW) with expertise providing services to sexual minority men to identify strategies to support HIV status sharing.

Methods: As part of a larger study designed to improve HIV-related health outcomes for sexual minority men, we conducted one focus group discussion (participant n = 4) and two in-depth-interviews with HCW. We used thematic analysis to synthesize qualitative themes and identify corresponding implications for interventions.

Results: HCW each had 5-23 years of experience. We identified three implementation considerations to support sharing of HIV status: (1) ensuring partner support for sharing status while circumventing risk of personal harms, (2) facilitating concordant couple-based peer support and belonging, and (3) leveraging the strengths of mass media as educational tools.

Conclusion: HCW highlighted that sharing that one is living with HIV is a sensitive and potentially dangerous process that can be managed by involving both partners in the process. This process may be supported by incorporating HIV status sharing narratives in popular media.