Mitigating Sexual Stigma Within Healthcare Interactions Improve Engagement of MSM in HIV Prevention

Albert Einstein College of Medicine

Status: Completed

Conditions: Human Immunodeficiency Virus; Patient Engagement; Stigma, Social

Treatments: Behavioral: A set of implementation strategies to reduce sexual stigma

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other; NIH

Identifiers

NCT04779736

K23MH124569 (U.S. NIH Grant/Contract)

2023-14892

Details and patient eligibility

About

The purpose of this study is to explore drivers and mitigators of anal sex stigma in healthcare, and then to develop and pilot an intervention for health workers that mitigates the deterrent effects of this stigma on the engagement of gay and bisexual men in HIV-related services.

Full description

This 5-year study aims to understand determinants that perpetuate and mitigate stigma toward anal sex during healthcare encounters, in order to develop and pilot a strategy that responds to these determinants and thereby improves the quality of care and HIV service engagement among men who have sex with men (MSM). The study team will collect data during in-depth interviews with 20 adult MSM as well as 20 adult healthcare workers (HCWs) to identify strategies that could be readily used in health services to reduce stigma. Analysis of this data will then inform consultation with an advisory board of 4 adult MSM and 4 adult HCWs to develop the content of a set of implementation strategies to mitigate stigma and thereby improve health service delivery. Evaluation of a set of implementation strategies will be performed in two high incidence regions in the United States, by pilot testing with 120 adult HCWs who do not specialize in MSM health and who work in clinical sites where MSM are under-engaged in HIV services.

Enrollment: 113 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18+ years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion and exclusion criteria

MSM Participants

Inclusion Criteria:

1. be aged 18 or older
2. report being assigned male at birth and identifying currently as male
3. reside in the United States
4. read and communicate in English
5. have had anal intercourse with a man in the past year or intend to in the next year Exclusion Criteria: Not applicable

Healthcare Worker Participants

Inclusion Criteria:

1. be aged 18 or older
2. read and communicate in English
3. bear a role responsibility for HIV-related screening and referral (e.g., as a peer/outreach worker, test counselor, case manager, social worker, medical assistant, nurse, physician assistant, physician) Exclusion Criteria: Not applicable

Trial design

Primary purpose: Health Services Research

Allocation: N/A

Interventional model: Sequential Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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113 participants in 1 patient group

Pre-post design

Other group

Description:

The pilot intervention will be evaluated using a pre-post design.

Treatment:

Behavioral: A set of implementation strategies to reduce sexual stigma