Low Knowledge, Awareness, and Availability of Sexual Health Services: An Assessment of a Diverse North Dallas Community.

Background: STI and HIV rates have been growing nationwide without adequate resources for treatment and prevention. Barriers to access need to be identified and rectified in order to reach affected populations.

Methods: An exploratory community assessment using a purposive sample in an underserved community in Dallas, TX was conducted to gain insight into perceptions of existing access, barriers, and cultural norms in addition to preferences for sexual health services in the area (n = 100). Results were compiled using descriptive statistics.

Results: Our respondents came from priority populations with high HIV/STI prevalence including Black individuals, Latinx individuals, and MSM. Most participants said they would feel comfortable accessing sexual health services in a medical building (95%), mobile clinic (91%), office building (76%), or pharmacy (74%). Half preferred a closer clinic compared to 2% who preferred farther away. Wide lack of awareness of sexual health services was cited as the primary barrier by 57%. Participants were most interested in having STI (92%) and HIV (91%) testing/treatment offered with very few expressing interest in PrEP (24%), nPEP (4%), or DoxyPEP (3%) suggesting low knowledge about these options. Further, Black individuals felt more comfortable than Latinx individuals when discussing sexual health with peers/friends, sex partners, and healthcare providers.

Conclusions: Many ethnic and sexual minorities disproportionately affected by these epidemics lack access to sexual health services in their communities. Local community assessments like this can serve as a model for others seeking to expand sexual health services to address the growing HIV and STI syndemics.