{"title":"Barriers to Treatment as Prevention Adoption Among Sexual and Gender Minority Individuals Who Have Sex with Men in the United States.","authors":"Alexander Borsa, Karolynn Siegel","doi":"10.1089/apc.2023.0001","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The discovery that people with an undetectable HIV viral load are unable to transmit the virus to sex partners (U = U) has ushered in a new era in HIV care. As a result of this discovery, treatment as prevention (TasP) has become a powerful tool toward ending the epidemic. However, despite its sound scientific basis, many communities affected by HIV face barriers toward adopting TasP as a complete HIV prevention strategy. In addition, most research to date has only focused on TasP in the context of committed monogamous partnerships. To identify barriers to TasP adoption among some of those most affected by HIV, we conducted in-depth qualitative interviews with 62 sexual and gender minority individuals of varying serostatuses. Participants were identified from the results of an online survey, where those who indicated at least some awareness of TasP were invited to partake in a follow-up interview. Interviews were thematically coded to identify emergent themes relating to TasP adoption. Seven primary barriers emerged from data analysis pertaining to TasP science, internalized beliefs about HIV safety, and interactional dynamics between partners: (1) unfamiliarity with TasP science, (2) perceived limitations of TasP science, (3) difficulty changing understanding of \"safe sex,\" (4) unwillingness to rely on partners' reports of being undetectable, (5) persistent HIV stigma, (6) less difficulty finding serosimilar partners, and (7) difficulty incorporating TasP into casual encounters. Together, these barriers confirm the existing findings about TasP adoption, and extend the literature by identifying barriers beyond a lack of education and outside of monogamous contexts.</p>","PeriodicalId":7476,"journal":{"name":"AIDS patient care and STDs","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.4000,"publicationDate":"2023-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10171941/pdf/","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"AIDS patient care and STDs","FirstCategoryId":"3","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1089/apc.2023.0001","RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q2","JCRName":"INFECTIOUS DISEASES","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
The discovery that people with an undetectable HIV viral load are unable to transmit the virus to sex partners (U = U) has ushered in a new era in HIV care. As a result of this discovery, treatment as prevention (TasP) has become a powerful tool toward ending the epidemic. However, despite its sound scientific basis, many communities affected by HIV face barriers toward adopting TasP as a complete HIV prevention strategy. In addition, most research to date has only focused on TasP in the context of committed monogamous partnerships. To identify barriers to TasP adoption among some of those most affected by HIV, we conducted in-depth qualitative interviews with 62 sexual and gender minority individuals of varying serostatuses. Participants were identified from the results of an online survey, where those who indicated at least some awareness of TasP were invited to partake in a follow-up interview. Interviews were thematically coded to identify emergent themes relating to TasP adoption. Seven primary barriers emerged from data analysis pertaining to TasP science, internalized beliefs about HIV safety, and interactional dynamics between partners: (1) unfamiliarity with TasP science, (2) perceived limitations of TasP science, (3) difficulty changing understanding of "safe sex," (4) unwillingness to rely on partners' reports of being undetectable, (5) persistent HIV stigma, (6) less difficulty finding serosimilar partners, and (7) difficulty incorporating TasP into casual encounters. Together, these barriers confirm the existing findings about TasP adoption, and extend the literature by identifying barriers beyond a lack of education and outside of monogamous contexts.
期刊介绍:
AIDS Patient Care and STDs is the foremost journal providing the latest developments and research in diagnostics and therapeutics designed to prolong the lifespan and improve quality of life for HIV/AIDS patients. The Journal delivers cutting-edge clinical, basic science, sociologic, and behavior-based investigations in HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted infections. Clinical trials, quantitative and qualitative analyses of pilot studies, comprehensive reviews, and case reports are presented from leading experts and scientists around the world.
AIDS Patient Care and STDs coverage includes:
Prominent AIDS medications, therapies, and antiretroviral agents
HIV/AIDS-related diseases, infections, and complications
Challenges of medication adherence
Current prevention techniques for HIV
The latest news and developments on other STDs
Treatment/prevention options, including pre- and post-exposure prophylaxis