Structural-level factors have contributed to the substantial disproportionate rates of HIV among Black men who have sex with men (BMSM) in the United States. Despite insufficient HIV testing patterns, however, there is a void in research investigating the relationship between structural factors and access to HIV testing and prevention services among BMSM. Building on previous scholarly work and incorporating a dynamic social systems conceptual framework, we conducted a comprehensive review of the literature on structural barriers to HIV testing and prevention services among BMSM across four domains: healthcare, stigma and discrimination, incarceration, and poverty. We found that BMSM experience inadequate access to culturally competent services, stigma and discrimination that impede access to services, a deficiency of services in correctional institutions, and limited services in areas where BMSM live. Structural interventions that eliminate barriers to HIV testing and prevention services and provide BMSM with core skills to navigate complex systems are needed.

The findings highlight an elevated lifetime incarceration history among a geographically diverse sample of BMSM and the need to adequately assess the impact of incarceration among BMSM in the United States.

This study examined the predictors of new incarceration and its association with HIV infection among 1,278 Black men who have sex with men (BMSM) enrolled and followed in the HIV Prevention Trials Network (HPTN) 061 study. HPTN 061 was conducted to determine the feasibility and acceptability of a multi-component intervention to reduce HIV infection among BMSM in six U.S. cities. In the current study, multivariable logistic regression models were used to explore the association between incarceration during study follow-up and several demographic, behavioral, and psychosocial variables at baseline found to be significant in bivariate analyses. In addition, Cox proportional hazard regression was used to explore the association between incarceration during study follow-up and incident HIV infection. Among the 1,278 BMSM with follow-up data, 305 (24%) reported a new incarceration within one year of entering the study with an estimated incarceration incidence of 35% (95% CI: 31% - 38%). After adjusting for confounders, lower education, lower annual income, previous incarceration frequency, and higher levels of perceived racism were significantly associated with new incarcerations during study follow-up. There was no observed association between incarceration during study follow-up and incident HIV infection. The very high level of new incarcerations highlight the importance of structural-level interventions to prevent incarceration among economically disenfranchised Black MSM in the United States.

Background. Because Black men who have sex with men (BMSM) experience high rates of both HIV and incarceration relative to other groups, the various stages of criminal justice involvement may serve as important intervention points for addressing HIV and related conditions in this group. Although systematic reviews of HIV interventions targeting MSM in general and BMSM in particular exist, no review has explored the range and impact of HIV, sexually transmitted infection (STI), and substance use prevention and care continuum interventions focused on criminal justice–involved (CJI) populations. Objectives. To describe the range and impact of published HIV, STI, and related substance use interventions for US-based CJI populations and to understand their relevance for BMSM. Search Methods. We conducted systematic searches in the following databases: PubMed, MEDLINE, Cochrane, CINAHL, and PsycINFO, covering the period preceding December 1, 2016. Selection Criteria. We selected articles in scientific publications involving quantitative findings for studies of US-based interventions that focused on CJI individuals, with outcomes related to sexual or substance use risk behaviors, HIV, or STIs. We excluded studies if they provided no demographic information, had minimal representation of the population of interest (< 30 African American or Black male or transgender participants), had study populations limited to those aged younger than 18 years, or were limited to evaluations of preexisting programs. Data Collection and Analysis. We abstracted data from these articles on study design; years covered; study location; participant number, demographics, and sexual orientation (if available); criminal justice setting or type; health condition; targeted outcomes; and key findings. We scored studies by using the Downs and Black quality and bias assessment. We conducted linear regression to examine changes in study quality by publication year. Main Results. Fifty-eight articles met inclusion criteria, including 8 (13.8%) modeling or cost-effectiveness studies and 13 (22.4%) randomized controlled trials. Just 3 studies (5.2%) focused on sexual or gender minorities, with only 1 focused on BMSM. In most studies (n = 36; 62.1%), however, more than 50% of participants were Black. The most common intervention addressed screening, including 20 empirical studies and 7 modeling studies. Education-focused interventions were also common (n = 15) and usually employed didactic rather than skill-building approaches. They were more likely to demonstrate increases in HIV testing, knowledge, and condom-use intentions than reductions in sex- and drug-risk behaviors. Screening programs consistently indicated cost-effectiveness, including with BMSM. Care continuum interventions for people living with HIV showed mixed results; just 3 involved randomized controlled trials, and these interventions did not show significant differences compared with control conditions. A minority of programs targeted non–custody-based CJI populations, despite their constituting a majority of the CJI population at any given time. Authors’ Conclusions. Screening CJI populations for HIV and other STIs is effective and cost-efficient and holds promise for reducing HIV in BMSM. Education-based and care provision interventions also hold promise for addressing HIV, STIs, mental health, and substance use in CJI populations. Additional empirical and modeling studies and results specific to sexual minorities are needed; their paucity represents a disparity in how HIV is addressed. Public Health Implications. HIV and STI screening programs focused on CJI populations should be a priority for reducing HIV risk and numbers of undiagnosed infections among BMSM. Funding agencies and public health leaders should prioritize research to improve the knowledge base regarding which care continuum intervention approaches are most effective for BMSM with criminal justice involvement. Developments in modeling approaches could allow researchers to simulate the impacts and costs of criminal justice involvement–related interventions that might otherwise be cost, time, or ethically prohibitive to study empirically.

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Background: In many parts of the world, stark racial disparities in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) prevalence, incidence, prevention, and care outcomes persist among gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (MSM), with Black MSM significantly impacted in the United States (U.S.). Individual-level characteristics, including sexual behaviors and socioeconomic status, do not fully account for racial/ethnic disparities in HIV among MSM. We hypothesize that neighborhood contexts and network characteristics influence risk for HIV infection as well as HIV-related prevention and care behaviors. As such, the study design includes the use of real-time geospatial methods and in-depth assessments of multiple network typologies to investigate the impact of neighborhood and network-level factors on HIV prevention and treatment among Black MSM residing in longstanding priority HIV elimination areas in the U.S., namely Chicago, Illinois and in the Deep South (Jackson, Mississippi and New Orleans, Louisiana) (n = 450, n = 50, and n = 100, respectively). We describe the design, sampling methods, data collection, data management methods, and preliminary findings of the ongoing ‘Neighborhoods and Networks (N2) Cohort Study’. Methods/Design: N2 employs a prospective longitudinal design. The sample includes Black MSM participants in Chicago recruited via respondent-driven sampling and assessed every six months over two years of follow-up. Participants enrolled in Jackson and New Orleans are being recruited through existing health and community services and assessed every six months over one year of follow-up. Mobility within and between neighborhoods is being assessed using global positioning system (GPS) technology. Social and sexual networks among Black MSM are being studied through egocentric network inventories as well as newer methods of creating meso-level networks that involve social media (Facebook) and mobile phone contacts. Key HIV prevention outcomes such as pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) care engagement, and HIV/STI (sexually transmitted infections) biomarkers will be examined at baseline and follow-up. Results: As of 31 December 2018, a total of 361 men were enrolled across all study sites: 259 in Chicago and 102 in the Deep South (75 in New Orleans and 27 in Jackson). At baseline, participants ranged in age from 17 to 65 years old (mean = 34.3, standard deviation = 5.1) with 123 men (34.1%) self-reported as HIV positive. While HIV treatment levels were similar between sites, men in the Deep South reported higher rates of adherence than men in Chicago (63.3% versus 49.4%, p = 0.03). Sexual risk profiles were mainly the same between men from different study sites, with 22.9% of men in Chicago and 28.9% in the Deep South reporting consistent condom use during vaginal and anal sex (p = 0.26). Regarding their home neighborhoods, men in the Deep South were more likely than those in Chicago to characterize theirs as having a good reputation (43.1% versus 24.7%, p < 0.001) and as being safe (37.3% versus 21.2%, p = 0.002). Conclusions: The focus on Black MSM in the N2 Study will allow for a nuanced exploration of the attitudes, beliefs, behaviors, and practices of a diverse group of Black MSM. The study is also positioned to provide novel insight about neighborhood and network characteristics that influence HIV-related behaviors. A health equity framework ensures that Black MSM are not explicitly or implicitly deemed as deviant, disordered, or the non-reference group. Findings from N2 will provide guidance for the implementation of more impactful HIV prevention interventions that engage a diverse population of Black MSM as we work toward HIV elimination in the U.S.

Background We describe the background, rationale, intervention components, and formative results of a demonstration project aimed to ameliorate five socio-structural barriers to HIV services for young Black men aged 18-29 living with and at risk for HIV in Louisiana. Methods The interventions and activities consisted of (1) five person-centered approaches to enhance linkage to HIV services and improve socioeconomic outcomes; (2) the implementation of systematic mystery shopping tests to document instances of housing discrimination; (3) the development and implementation of a multi-prong communications campaign to increase knowledge about the signs of housing discrimination and community resources among young Black men who have sex with men (YBMSM); (4) the integration of HIV/STI services and lesbian, gay, bisexual, and trans (LGBT)-inclusive events on Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs); and (5) the development of a safe space for YBMSM. A multi-method approach was used to evaluate the outcomes of the different interventions. Results The majority (62%) of participants living with HIV were linked to HIV care and 49% had achieved viral suppression. More than 40% of participants were employed during the project. Thirty-seven percent (37%) of the mystery shopping tests showed definite or possible signs of housing discrimination. The housing campaign's duration was limited with unknown longterm impact among YBMSM. Fifteen cases of syphilis were identified during two HBCU events. A safe space was specifically created for YBMSM at a community-based organization. Conclusion Multi-component holistic health interventions are needed to improve HIV outcomes and curb the high HIV rates among young Black men, particularly YBMSM in the United States and the Deep South. Keywords Black men who have sex with men (BMSM). Social and structural factors. HIV prevention. South. Young Black men

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