Santa Clara Valley Medical Center, Santa Clara, CA, USA.
University of California San Diego, 220 Dickinson Street Suite A, San Diego, CA, USA.
BMC Womens Health. 2021 May 25;21(1):220. doi: 10.1186/s12905-021-01348-8.
Prior to implementing a pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) demonstration study, we sought to explore cisgender women's experiences with HIV prevention, PrEP knowledge and attitudes, and anticipated barriers and facilitators for PrEP uptake and adherence in Southern California.
Three focus groups were held with cisgender women of mixed HIV serostatus in San Diego and Los Angeles between November 2015 and January 2016. Women were recruited through local testing sites, community-based organizations, and social media. Focus groups were audio-recorded and transcripts were analyzed using thematic analysis.
Twenty-two women participated in focus groups, with median age 44 (IQR 30-53) and 6 identifying as non-Hispanic Black, 7 non-Hispanic White, 8 Latina and 1 mixed race. Despite limited prior PrEP knowledge and no PrEP experience, participants expressed interest in taking PrEP. Anticipated benefits were freedom from worry about HIV and control over sexual health; however, these were tempered by concerns including the possibility of increased HIV risk behaviors and potential side effects. Cisgender women reported potential barriers to PrEP uptake and adherence barriers, like competing priorities and poor PrEP access. Conversely, PrEP facilitators included utilizing practical tools such as phone apps and pill boxes as well as receiving encouragement from loved ones and support from other cisgender women on PrEP, women living with HIV and their medical providers.
Although PrEP awareness was low, participants recognized the importance of PrEP and ways to facilitate adherence. Exploring perspectives of cisgender women is integral to developing effective interventions to support PrEP uptake and adherence for women at elevated risk for HIV.
在实施暴露前预防(PrEP)示范研究之前,我们试图探索跨性别女性在艾滋病毒预防方面的经验、PrEP 知识和态度,以及在南加州,她们在接受 PrEP 方面面临的预期障碍和促进因素。
2015 年 11 月至 2016 年 1 月,在圣地亚哥和洛杉矶,我们对 HIV 血清状态各异的跨性别女性进行了三次焦点小组访谈。通过当地的检测点、社区组织和社交媒体招募女性参加。对焦点小组进行了录音,并使用主题分析对转录本进行了分析。
22 名女性参加了焦点小组,中位数年龄为 44 岁(IQR 30-53),6 名女性自我认同为非裔美国人,7 名女性为白人,8 名女性为拉丁裔,1 名女性为混合种族。尽管对 PrEP 的了解有限,也没有 PrEP 经验,但参与者表示有兴趣服用 PrEP。预期的好处是可以不再担心 HIV 和控制自己的性健康;然而,这些好处也被一些顾虑所抵消,包括可能增加 HIV 风险行为和潜在副作用的可能性。跨性别女性报告了接受 PrEP 的障碍和坚持服用 PrEP 的障碍,如竞争的优先事项和获取 PrEP 的困难。相反,PrEP 的促进因素包括利用实用工具,如手机应用程序和药盒,以及得到亲人的鼓励、其他服用 PrEP 的跨性别女性、HIV 感染者和她们的医疗提供者的支持。
尽管 PrEP 的认知度较低,但参与者认识到 PrEP 的重要性和促进其坚持服用的方法。探索跨性别女性的观点对于开发有效的干预措施以支持高危女性接受 PrEP 和坚持服用 PrEP 至关重要。