February 7, 2022 – Today, CHIPTS observes National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day (NBHAAD), a day dedicated to recognizing the impact of HIV and working to increase HIV education, testing, and treatment in Black communities.

In 2019, Black/African American individuals represented 13% of the population but 40% of people with HIV in the US. Black communities are also disproportionately impacted by new HIV infections, with 41% of all new infections in the US in 2019 occurring among this population. In honor of NBHAAD, CHIPTS is excited to highlight three innovative and impactful research projects focused on preventing HIV and improving health outcomes among individuals with HIV in Black communities. These projects were recently presented at the 2022 CHIPTS HIV Next Generation Conference:

“I Want to See What That’s About”: Black Women’s Insights on Accessing PrEP via a Telehealth App
Drew Mack, BS, Medical Student, Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science

Presentation Summary: Black women are disproportionately affected by HIV – our demographic makes up 60% of new infections in American women. With the advent of preventative methods like PrEP, and heightened accessibility to these medications through telemedicine, why aren’t these statistics changing? Through cohort analysis, we analyzed Black women’s perceptions of accessing PrEP via telehealth.

Watch recording: https://youtu.be/ntneb3UUrJs?t=661 

HIV Stigma is Associated with Patient-Reported Outcomes and Quality of Life Among Black Sexual Minority Men Living With HIV
Chenglin Hong, MSW, MPH, PhD Candidate, Department of Social Welfare, UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs

Presentation Summary: I analyzed the baseline data from a randomized control trial of a community-developed, web-based mobile app intervention (the LINX study) that aimed to address the social work and legal needs of Black sexual minority men living with HIV (BSMM+). Results revealed that BSMM+ experience high levels of HIV stigma, and higher levels of HIV stigma were associated with higher mental health distress and lower levels of life satisfaction and quality of life. Reducing HIV stigma and improving good health-related quality of life is imperative to achieve the 4th 90 target among BSMM living with HIV.

Watch recording: https://youtu.be/c_4z-wt1J8g?t=465

Impact of Resilience, Social Support, and Healthcare Empowerment on HIV Care Engagement and Viral Suppression among Young Black Sexual Minority Men with HIV in the US South: Overcoming Social and Structural Barriers
Erik Storholm, PhD, Assistant Professor, School of Public Health, San Diego State University
Wilson Vincent, PhD, Assistant Professor, Department of Psychology, Temple University

Presentation Summary: Informed by Minority Stress Theory and Syndemic Theory, this exploratory analysis of data from a community cohort of 224 Young Black Sexual Minority Men with HIV (YBSMM+) in the US South sought to shed light on the impact of socioeconomic distress, intimate partner violence, depressive symptoms, HIV-related social support, resilience, and healthcare empowerment on HIV care continuum engagement. Findings suggest that interventions that focus on improving HIV care continuum engagement are likely to have success if they focus on increasing levels of healthcare empowerment, sources of resilience, and HIV-related social support.

Watch recording: https://youtu.be/NOJdR_ioWIA?t=1528

Find more information about the impact of HIV in Black communities on the CDC website. NBHAAD also offers an opportunity to review and recommit to the goals of the National HIV/AIDS Strategy (2022–2025) to reduce HIV-related disparities and health inequities, especially within Black communities.

The 2022 HIV Next Generation Conference hosted by CHIPTS welcomed 200 attendees for a day of presentations, discussions, learning and networking. The conference, facilitated by Dallas Swendeman, CHIPTS Development Core Co-Director, welcomed local attendees and participants from academic institutions, community-based organizations, health care institutions,  and other organizations working to end the HIV epidemic. The day also provided a unique opportunity for cross-collaboration and mentorship.

The timely conference theme, “Resilience and Risk: Changing Paradigms,” was emphasized throughout the day’s program. Steve Shoptaw, CHIPTS Director, and Norweeta Milburn, CHIPTS Development Core Director, gave opening remarks to lay the groundwork for the conference. Gary W. Harper, Professor, Global Public Health, University of Michigan School of Public Health, offered an engaging and informative opening plenary.

The program proceeded with a set of two sessions featuring presentations and panel discussion that occurred concurrently. One session, moderated by Ron Brooks, CHIPTS Combination Prevention Core Scientist, centered on PrEP with Gay and Bisexual Men. Juan C. Jauregui discussed the results from a large global study administered through a gay geosocial networking app to assess sexual practices among gay and bisexual men who have sex with men during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Martin Santillan Jr. highlighted the additional benefits PrEP provides to Latino gay and bisexual men beyond HIV prevention.

The other session, facilitated by Pamina Gorbach, CHIPTS Global HIV Director, centered on HIV and Substance Use. Cherie Blair presented on her project around HIV and methamphetamine. Amanda P. Miller described the prevalence of alcohol use and explored associations between alcohol use and HIV sexual risk among 1,200 pregnant women at risk for HIV infection attending an antenatal clinic in Gugulethu, Cape Town.

A second set of three concurrent sessions followed. This set included a session focused on PrEP with Women that was facilitated by Dvora Joseph Davey, CHIPTS Combination Prevention Core Scientist. Gloria Aidoo-Frimpong and David Adzrago discussed the preferences of Ghanaian immigrant women in the US towards different HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) delivery methods. Drew Mack’s presentation examined how Black women are disproportionately affected by HIV despite the advent of preventative methods like PrEP, and heightened accessibility to these medications through telemedicine. Co-presenters Dilara K. Üsküp and Omar Nieto shared their results from piloting an implementation strategy to raise awareness and uptake of PrEP among Latina cisgender women.

A concurrent session facilitated by David Goodman-Meza, CHIPTS Combination Prevention Core Scientist, focused on People Living with HIV. Karah Greene discussed the development of an online platform to promote social connectedness among older people living with HIV. Chenglin Hong highlighted the web-based mobile app intervention (LINX study) that aimed to address the social work and legal needs of Black sexual minority men living with HIV. Andrea. N. Polonijo provided an engaging presentation that examined sociodemographic differences in attitudes toward payment for research participation, perceptions of study risk based on payment amount, and preferred forms of payment. 

The final session focused on Youth and HIV and was facilitated by Sabrina L. Smiley, CHIPTS Combination Prevention Core Scientist. Roxana Rezai provided an overview of important factors linked to alcohol misuse during COVID-19 stay-at-home orders in a sample of vulnerable youth at-risk for or living with HIV in Los Angeles, CA, and New Orleans, LA. Joshua A. Rusow presented on HIV-risk sexual activities among sexual minority adolescents in the United States. Co-presenters Erik Storholm and Wilson Vincent examined the impact of socioeconomic distress, intimate partner violence, depressive symptoms, HIV-related social support, resilience, and healthcare empowerment on HIV care continuum engagement. 

Over the course of the virtual conference, poster presenters shared their innovative research with attendees during interactive breakout poster sessions. See posters: https://chipts.ucla.edu/news/2022-chipts-hiv-next-generation-conference-resources/

Scholarship awards in honor of William Cunningham, a beloved CHIPTS Core Scientist who embodied the tenets of mentorship and supported the work of new and emerging investigators to address HIV needs and disparities, particularly in under-served communities, and Mark Etzel, a treasured CHIPTS administrator whose work centered around addressing policy and supporting grassroots community engagement to improve health outcomes in communities impacted by HIV, were awarded to Anne E. Fehrenbacher, Cheldy Martinez, and Juan Solis, respectively.

Finally, CHIPTS Co-Director Raphael J. Landovitz gave the closing remarks, reminding attendees of the conference’s purpose and highlighting the need for more interventions to address HIV prevention and treatment needs and gaps during this period of the pandemic and beyond.

See below for oral presentation PDFs and available recorded presentations.

Welcome and Opening Remarks

Recording: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DJENQJSn54g

Norweeta Milburn, PhD, Director, CHIPTS Development Core
Steve Shoptaw, PhD, Director, CHIPTS Administrative Core

Conference Facilitator and Announcements:

Dallas Swendeman, PHD, Co-Director, CHIPTS Development Core

Opening Plenary

Recording: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sseFDnlZ1oo

Gary W. Harper, PhD, MPH, Professor, Health Behavior and Health Education, University of Michigan School of Public Health.

Presentation Title: Promoting resistance and resilience for holistic health: The power of LGBTQIA+ youth

Presentation Summary: N/A

 

Panel 1: PrEP with Gay and Bisexual Men

Recording: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sJicMGWEKRw

Panel Presentations:

1. Correlates of sexual contact, COVID testing and comfort attending sexual venues during the COVID-19 pandemic in a global sample of gay, bi-sexual, and other men who have sex with men

• Juan C. Jauregui, MSW, MPH, Doctoral Student

Slides: Download here

Summary: The presentation describes how gay social and sexual venues are important targets for HIV prevention engagement and how GBMSM continued to remain connected through gay geosocial networking apps throughout the pandemic. The presentation examines the impact of COVID-19 on GBMSM’s social and sexual venue attendance.

2. Using PrEP is being part of a larger movement: Additional individual and community level benefits of PrEP use among Latino gay and bi-sexual men

• Martin Santillan Jr.

Slides: Download here

Summary: The presentation examines the additional benefits of using PrEP specifically among Latino GBM PrEP users. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with participants to identify feelings and emotions experienced, plus any additional benefits gained from using PrEP.

 

Panel 2: HIV and Substance Use

Recording: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FwlrEGI83wU

Panel Presentations:

Panel discussant: Pamina M. Gorbach, MHS, DRPH Global HIV Director, CHIPTS Co-Director, UCLA Center for AIDS Research Program on Biobehavioral Epidemiology and Substance Use.

1. Sexual risk among pregnant women at risk of HIV infection in Cape Town, South Africa: What does alcohol have to do with it?

• Amanda P. Miller, PhD, MSc

Slides: Download here

Summary: The presentation focused on alcohol use and HIV describing the interrelated public health issues associated with adverse health outcomes for the mother and fetus. The presentation examined associations between reported alcohol use and HIV risk behaviors among pregnant women in Cape Town, SA

 

Panel 3: PrEP with Women

Recording: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ntneb3UUrJs\

Panel Presentations:

1. Examining interest in HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis delivery modalities among Ghanaian immigrant women in the US

• Gloria Aidoo-Frimpong, MA, MPH, PhD Candidate and David Adzrago, PhD(C), MSW, MPhil, PhD Candidate

Slides: Download here

Summary: The presentation objective was to examine factors associated with willingness to use PrEP delivery methods (i.e., daily oral pill, injectable, microbicide gel, vaginal ring, subdermal implant, vaginal film) among Ghanaians – a subgroup of African immigrants.

2. I want to see what that’s about: Black women’s insights on accessing PrEP via a telehealth app

• Drew Mack, BSc, Medical Student

Slides: Download here

Summary: The presentation discussed the use of qualitative interviews to explore Black women’s’ perception of using telehealth through an app and using telehealth to access Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis.

3. Piloting teleprep information sessions: An implementation strategy to increase PrEP awareness and optimize PrEP uptake among Latina Cisgenders women

• Dilara K. Üsküp, PhD, PhD and Omar Nieto, BS

Slides: Download here

Summary: The presentation discusses a pilot that aims to use an implementation strategy to increase PrEP awareness and optimize PrEP uptake among Latina cisgender women (LCW) through use of PlushCare. PlushCare is a stand-alone telemedicine “app” that exclusively provides virtual/remote delivery of clinical services, including PrEP.

 

Panel 4: People Living with HIV

Recording: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c_4z-wt1J8g

Panel Presentations:

1. Developing an online platform to improve social connections for older adults aging with HIV: Lessons learned from multi-site discussion groups

• Karah Greene, MSW

Slides: Download here

Summary: The presentation discusses the lessons learned regarding the technological barriers encountered during the facilitation of focus groups with older people living with HIV.

2. HIV stigma is associated with patient-reported outcomes and quality of life among Black sexual minority men living with HIV

• Chenglin Hong, MSW, MPH, PhD Candidate

Slides: Download here

Summary: The presentation examines the effect of HIV stigma, which might be pronounced among Black sexual minority men living with HIV due to the Intersectionality and multiple minority stressors. Findings underscore the critical associations between HIV stigma and patient-reported mental health outcomes and quality of life.

3. How does payment shape research participation decisions? Results from a national survey of people living with HIV

• Andrea. N. Polonijo, PhD, MPH

Slides: N/A

Summary: Summary: Payment for participation in HIV research is a common practice, yet little is known about how payment affects individuals’ research participation decisions. Using data from a U.S. national survey of people living with HIV (N=292), we examined sociodemographic differences in (a) attitudes toward payment for research participation, (b) perceptions of study risk based on payment amount, and (c) preferred forms of payment. We find payment may influence prospective HIV research participants’ risk–benefit calculus and participation, and that a onesize-fits-all approach to payment could differentially influence participation among distinct

 

Panel 5: Youth and HIV

Recording: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NOJdR_ioWIA

Panel Discussant: Sabrina L. Smiley, PhD, MPH

Panel Presentations:

1. Alcohol misuse during the COVID-19 stay at home orders among youth at risk or living with HIV: A study in Los Angeles and New Orleans

• Roxana Rezai, MPH, Doctoral Student

Slides: Download here

Summary: The presentation discusses marginalized subgroups such as sexual and gender minorities, youth living with HIV, and youth experiencing housing insecurity are particularly susceptible to alcohol use and misuse. The study mentioned examines important factors linked to alcohol misuse during COVID-19 stay-at-home orders in a sample of marginalized youth and young adults at-risk or living with HIV in Los Angeles, CA and New Orleans, LA.

2. Violence experiences are associated with HIV transmission risk over one year among a prospective sample of sexual minority adolescents in the United States

• Joshua A. Rusow, PhD, MSW

Slides: Download here

Summary: The presentation examines mental health symptomology, minority stress experiences, and interpersonal violence as a potential contributing factor to HIV transmission risk behaviors over one year among sexual minority adolescence.

3. Impact of resilience, social support, and healthcare empowerment on HIV care engagement and viral suppression among young Black sexual minority men with HIV in the US

• Erik Storholm, PhD and Wilson Vincent, PHD

Slides: Download here

Summary: The presentation examined the associations of multiple latent predictor variables known to be related to HIV outcomes such as socioeconomic distress, intimate partner violence, depression, resilience, and HIV related social support with HIV care engagement among. The presentation discusses test whether healthcare empowerment mediates the impact of these latent predictor variables have HIV care engagement.

 

The 2022 CHIPTS HIV Next Generation Virtual Conference is this upcoming Friday, January 28, 2022 from 9:00 AM – 12:30 PM.

The conference is VIRTUAL and FREE to attend.

Please REGISTER if you would like to attend. The conference is organized to support the next generation of HIV researchers and service providers who are working towards an end to HIV/AIDS through networking and sharing visions for future priorities. The theme of this year’s conference is “Resilience and Risk: Changing Paradigms.” The conference will feature oral and poster presentations by faculty, student and emerging researchers from various institutions.

• Download conference program: 2022 Next Generation Conference Program
• Download agenda only: 2022 Next Generation Conference Agenda
• Download oral presentations: 2022 Next Generation Conference Oral Presentations
• Download poster presentations: 2022 Next Generation Conference Poster Presentations
• Download: [Download not found]

CEU credits: Attend the conference, and sign in and out using the form that will be provided to receive credits. The PAETC will follow up post-conference.

The Pacific AIDS Education and Training Center – Los Angeles Area is accredited to provide the following: Continuing LCSW and MFT Education Credit. Courses meet the qualification for a maximum 3.5 hour of continuing education credit for LMFTs, LCSWs, LPCCs, and LEPs as required by the California Board of Behavioral Sciences. Provider #PCE 128280. Continuing Nursing Education Credit. Course is approved for a maximum of 3.5 contact hour by the California Board of Registered Nursing. Provider #15484.

We invite you to take a look at the poster presentations below which will be featured at the 2022 Next Generation Virtual Conference.

To view a poster, click on the thumbnail to magnify.

Poster Presentation 1

Presenter(s):

• Cherie Blair, MD, PhD, Assistant Professor, Department of Medicine, Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA

Presentation Title: HIV, Methamphetamine Use, and Pulmonary Hypertension: From Blue Skies to an Integrated Research Agenda

Summary: This project was funded by the 2021 CHIPTS Kickstarter Grant. We will present findings from a joint UCLA/CHIPTS and Stanford symposium to develop a collective research agenda to identify and address the overlapping behavioral, biomedical, and social contexts of HIV, methamphetamine use, and pulmonary hypertension

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Poster Presentation 2

Presenter(s):

• Ekrem Cetinkaya, MS, Medical Student, Rowan University School of Osteopathic Medicine
• Eshani Choksi, BS, Medical Student, Rowan University School of Osteopathic Medicine
• Surayya Miller, MBS, Medical Student, Rowan University School of Osteopathic Medicine
• Nishawn Rahaman, MS, Medical Student, Rowan University School of Osteopathic Medicine
• Krzysztof Zembrzuski, BA, Medical Student, Rowan University School of Osteopathic Medicine

Presentation Title: Risk Factors for HIV Progression Among Males Ages 18-35 in Essex County, New Jersey: A Literature Review

Summary: This presentation summarizes various risk factors that were identified in literature, that affect HIV progression and poor prognosis. We chose the 18-35-year-old male population in Essex County, New Jersey, as we believe that this population specifically faces extensive socioeconomic disadvantages that have contributed to the extremely high prevalence of HIV in this region. We believe that highlighting the risk factors that predispose this population to poorer outcomes is imperative in facilitating change to allocate more resources and attention to individuals in this area.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Poster Presentation 3

Presenter(s):

• Homero E. del Pino, PhD, MS, Associate Professor, Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science and Research Health Scientist, GRECC (Geriatric Research, Education & Clinical Center), VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System
• Petra Durán, BA, Clinical Coordinator, Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science
• Angel Martínez, MS, Volunteer, Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science
• Edwin Rojas, MPH, Research Assistant, St. John’s Well Child and Family Center

Presentation Title: Engaging the Siblings of Latinx MSM in Promoting PrEP Use

Summary: The siblings of Latinx MSM are an overlooked source of social support in HIV prevention strategies. We will share findings from our community-partnered study that aims to engage siblings in the promotion of PrEP.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Poster Presentation 4

Presenter(s):

• Gabriel G. Edwards, MD, MPH, Assistant Project Scientist, UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine, Division of General Internal Medicine & Health Services Research
• Carolyn Belton, MHHS, AIDS Healthcare Foundation

Presentation Title: Services for Re-Entry Populations: Community-Focused Development of a Policy Brief

Summary: This presentation describes the process of creating a policy brief on community re-entry services for individuals leaving incarceration. The brief was a collaboration between academics and community members, in response to an ongoing initiative to create policy recommendations around alternatives to incarceration in Los Angeles County.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Poster Presentation 5

Presenter(s):

• Kevin Frost, Undergraduate Student at University of Southern California, Director of External Affairs at Harm Reduction Los Angeles
• Sid Ganesh, BA, BS, PhD candidate, Department of Population and Public Health Sciences and the Institute for Prevention Research at the Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Cofounder and Codirector at Harm Reduction Los Angeles
• Tucker Avra, DVM, Medical Student, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Cofounder and Codirector at Harm Reduction Los Angeles

Presentation Title: 1st Annual Harm Reduction in Clinical Praxis CME Conference

Summary: Birthed in the HIV epidemic in the US, Harm Reduction is a social justice movement and a framework for resource allocation that centers intersectional communities most impacted by the racist and anti-immigrant War on Drugs. The 1st Annual Harm Reduction in Clinical Praxis CME Conference was hosted by Harm Reduction Los Angeles in conjunction with the USC CME office at Keck School of Medicine on September 25, 2021, with a focus on offering interventional, institutional, and structural tools specific to improving care and outcomes for people who use drugs.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Poster Presentation 6

Presenter(s):

• Caleb Garcia, BS Candidate, Undergraduate Student, HIV Counseling and Testing Coalition at UCLA

Presentation Title: UCLA’s First Annual Sexual Health and Wellness Fair: Building a Healthier, Safer, & More Sex-Positive Campus

Summary: With the gracious support of the CHIPTS Kick Start Grant, the student-run HIV Counseling and Testing Coalition held its’ inaugural Sexual Health and Wellness Fair. The primary goal of the Fair was to administer free HIV tests and provide client-specific risk-reduction counseling to students, staff, and faculty. Our organization also utilized the Fair as an opportunity to re-introduce ourselves to the campus community as a free and confidential testing, counseling, and educational resource after a long hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Poster Presentation 7

Presenter(s):

• Bill Le, BA, PrEP Education Specialist, APLA Health
• Ian Klinger, MA, Research Coordinator, APLA Health
• Matt Mutchler, PhD, Principal Investigator, APLA Health

Presentation Title: Innovative Outreach Strategies for a PrEP study during COVID-19

Summary: The poster presentation will discuss how to increase strategies for outreach and recruitment during the COVID-19 pandemic to support PrEP uptake between YBMSM and their close friends. As time has progressed and mandated shutdowns and “stay at home orders” in Los Angeles County have been lifted or lessened, in-person events have slowly started reappearing. This has led to us developing a new hybrid strategy which we are currently working to employ to reach our target population during these challenging times.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Poster Presentation 8

Presenter(s):

• Charles McWells, BA, HIV Prevention Services Manager, Los Angeles Centers for Alcohol and Drug Abuse and Instructor, Community Faculty at Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science

Presentation Title: Velvet Jesus: An Edu-tainment Model for Behavioral Change Among At-Risk LGBTQ Adults of Color

Summary: “Educational Entertainment” (or “Edu-tainment”) is an evidence-based model that uses film, television, theatre or other forms of performance art to convey health-empowerment messages.  In this project, Black and Latinx LGBTQ adults participated in screenings of a motion picture that focused on homophobia, childhood trauma, mental health disorders, and HIV/AIDS.  Following the screenings, audience members discussed how their shared experiences mirrored the film plot, and developed alternative plot-lines in which the characters made healthier behavioral choices.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Poster Presentation 9

Presenter(s):

• Dianna Polanco, BA, Research Coordinator, UCLA Semel Institute Center for Community Health

Presentation Title: Do Chatbots Have a Place in Adolescent HIV Research? A Qualitative Study in Los Angeles and New Orleans

Summary: The purpose of this abstract is to assess usability chatbots in research. Focus groups were held to discuss the pros and cons of using chatbots in research studies.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Poster Presentation 10

Presenter(s):

• Rebecca Ruiz, BS, HIV Project Empowerment Trainer, AltaMed Health Services

Presentation Title: Virtual Training Significantly Increases Primary Care Providers’ PrEP Knowledge

Summary: Several studies have shown that a lack of knowledge among primary care providers (PCPs) about pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) can be a barrier to HIV preventative care; when PCPs increase their knowledge about PrEP, they are more likely to initiate discussions about PrEP and prescribe it to their patients. We developed and conducted trainings among PCPs within a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) to increase provider comfort/willingness with prescribing PrEP.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Poster Presentation 11

Presenter(s):

• Jimena Sandoval, BA, Case Manager, Bienestar Human Services, Inc.
• Ricardo Mendoza Lepe, PhD, Field Specialist and Research Coordinator, Bienestar Human Services, Inc.
• Ronald Brooks, PhD, Assistant Professor at Department of Family Medicine at UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine, and he is also Director of Research and Evaluation at Bienestar Human Services, Inc.
• Brendan O’Connell, MSW, Chief Operating Officer, Bienestar Human Services, Inc.

Presentation Title: Homeless not hopeless: The impact of support systems in improving the quality of life of transgender people of color experiencing homelessness

Summary: Identifying the impact that social support connections, specifically from family members, have on trans people of color in facing risk situations and preventing future risk factors.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This content originally appeared on the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease website. View the full article here.

NIH Celebrates FDA Approval of Long-Acting Injectable Drug for HIV Prevention

Approval Marks Pivotal Expansion of HIV Prevention Options in the United States

December 20, 2021 – The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced its first approval of a long-acting HIV prevention medication. Developed by ViiV Healthcare, the medicine is long-acting cabotegravir injected once every two months. FDA has approved the medicine for use by adults and adolescents weighing at least 35 kilograms who are at risk of sexually acquiring HIV. This milestone marks a vital expansion of biomedical HIV prevention options available to people in the United States. The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health, thanks and congratulates everyone who led, conducted and participated in the research that led to this important development.

An estimated 34,800 people in the United States acquired HIV in 2019, the most recent year for which data are available. Men who have sex with men, transgender women who have sex with men, and Black cisgender women are among those disproportionately affected by HIV in this country.

Until today, the only FDA-licensed medications for HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) were daily oral pills containing the HIV drugs tenofovir and emtricitabine. These medications are highly effective at preventing HIV when taken daily as prescribed. However, taking a pill daily while feeling healthy can be challenging. Long-acting injectable cabotegravir PrEP is a less frequent, more discreet HIV prevention option that may be more desirable for some people.

The FDA approval is based on data primarily from two NIH-supported clinical trials, HPTN 083 and HPTN 084. Both trials compared the safety and effectiveness of a PrEP regimen containing long-acting injectable cabotegravir with a regimen of daily oral PrEP. HPTN 083 enrolled more than 4,500 cisgender men who have sex with men and transgender women who have sex with men in Argentina, Brazil, Peru, South Africa, Thailand, the United States and Vietnam. HPTN 084 enrolled more than 3,200 cisgender women in Botswana, Eswatini, Kenya, Malawi, South Africa, Uganda and Zimbabwe. The two trials found that both HIV prevention methods were safe and highly effective, but injectable cabotegravir was more effective than daily oral PrEP at preventing HIV acquisition.

The HPTN 083 and HPTN 084 trials were sponsored by NIAID and conducted by the NIH-funded HIV Prevention Trials Network (HPTN). NIAID and ViiV Healthcare co-funded both trials; the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation also supported HPTN 084. HPTN is co-funded by NIAID, the National Institute of Mental Health, the National Institute on Drug Abuse, and the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, all part of NIH.

This content originally appeared on HIV.gov. View the full article here.

Harold Phillips, Director of the White House Office of National AIDS Policy (ONAP), recently spoke with HIV.gov about the 2021 World AIDS Day and release of the National HIV/AIDS Strategy (NHAS).

Harold discussed the process of drafting NHAS and provided an overview of the Strategy. Watch the conversation here.

He shared the Administration’s “whole-of-society” approach to updating NHAS: “…public health plays a really key and important role, but we know how important social determinants of health are. We also know how important partnerships and collaborations with community, faith-based, private sector partners are in this effort. And this plan includes strategies and approaches that can be used by those entities as well.”

Harold also reviewed modifications added to NHAS, including:

• Increased focus on substance use disorders.
• Community and clinical behavioral health models.
• Harm reduction approaches that intersect with STIs, viral hepatitis, and HIV.
• A greater emphasis on strategies for people aging with HIV.

He also spoke about how the Administration plans to implement the Strategy: “We’ll be looking at the issue of HIV criminalization and how to help states and localities address those laws and policies that really get in the way and create discriminatory actions, as well as stigmatizing people living with HIV.”

Please follow the HIV.gov blog for more conversations with Harold Phillips. Read more about the National HIV/AIDS Strategy.

CHIPTS Development Core Director Norweeta G. Milburn, PhD, and Marguerita Lightfoot, PhD, have recently completed a special issue of JAIDS: Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome entitled Innovative Approaches to Building Health Equity in the Prevention and Treatment of HIV/AIDS in California. The special issue draws upon the work of the California HIV/AIDS Research Program’s 2015 funding initiatives to support research centers and demonstration projects to address health disparities in HIV. Excerpts from their Introduction to the Special Issue supplement article are below. View the full article here.

Addressing Health Disparities in HIV: Introduction to the Special Issue

Racial and ethnic minority, sexual and gender minority, and low-income people have historically experienced poorer health outcomes and poorer social conditions that lead to poorer health outcomes (social determinants of health) than nonminority people in the United States. To eliminate these health disparities, intentional and targeted interventions that address the needs and preferences of diverse populations are needed. This special issue describes interventions that aimed to increase linkage to and engagement in HIV-specific prevention or medical care, each uniquely tailored to the needs of an identified California population with disparate HIV-related health outcomes and each for implementation at a specific stage of the HIV prevention and care continuum.

In 2015, the California HIV/AIDS Research Program (CHRP) launched 2 funding initiatives, totaling more than $18,000,000: the first to fund the development of HIV-Related Health Disparities Centers within CA-based Centers for AIDS Research, and the second to fund demonstration projects (both behavioral interventions and biomedical clinical trials) of “pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) for HIV Prevention By and For the Transgender Community” in CA. These funding opportunities were designed according to key principles of community-based participatory research. For example, each study team was required to form a partnership with at least 1 community-based organization that had an existing service relationship with the target population, and establish that partnership either before or during the planning stage of the research project, to ensure inclusion of their views in intervention design and outcome assessments.

Taken together, these funding initiatives aimed to (1) jump-start a statewide effort to close the gap of HIV-related health disparities; (2) set the HIV research agenda on course to directly address health disparities; (3) establish the efficacy of multiple interventions to improve HIV-related outcomes for the identified target populations, including the first large-scale trials of PrEP for transgender persons; and (4) facilitate collaboration between academia, government, community, and industry and among 3 University of California campuses.

The six research centers that were funded under these initiatives are outlined below:

The UCLA HIV Disparities Center focused on 3 populations experiencing health disparities: transgender persons, young African American MSM, and homeless youth. The UCLA core implemented a multilevel structural intervention targeting current clinicians at UCLA Medical Center, trainee clinicians at UCLA School of Medicine (SOM), and the standing curriculum at UCLA SOM to improve capacity and skills in providing culturally competent care for transgender persons. A second team of investigators designed and implemented a social work and legal case management intervention with a mobile application for young African American MSM living with HIV infection but who were not in care. Each arm in this randomized, controlled trial received a weekly text-based ecological momentary assessment to assess medication adherence. A third team designed a popular opinion leader intervention for homeless young people at risk of HIV acquisition that leveraged artificial intelligence that was implemented at drop-in centers in central Los Angeles.

The UCSD HIV Disparities Center worked with members of the faith community, HIV-positive women experiencing syndemic exposures (ie, histories of substance use, mental health disorder, trauma, intimate partner violence, and others), and African American persons living with HIV who were out of care. The team held public faith-based HIV educational events with DJs and gospel choirs and offered free HIV testing; held community HIV research summits; and hosted the 2020 National CFAR meeting. This center also developed a two-way Community Partner Registry in which community-based organizations (CBOs) could request assistance with technical skills usually limited to academia, including grant application writing and data collection methods, and UCSD researchers could contact CBOs to identify potential study sites and/or study participants. To aid in recruitment and retention across multiple studies, the team established a social media management system through Hootsuite and a transportation system to bring volunteers to the clinic with direct billing through Lyft Concierge.

The UCSF HIV Disparities Center engaged scientific leaders to host multiple symposia on HIV-related health disparities (with a particular focus on homelessness), form a coordinated regional response to HIV, and host the 2020 IAS International Conference on HIV/AIDS. Locally, the UCSF clinical trials addressed the needs of young people (aged 18–29 years) living with HIV and who had histories of substance use in 1 trial and members of the House Ball community in Oakland and the wider Bay Area in another. The youth-focused project, known as Y2TEC, established a Youth Advisory Panel at the start of funding, which proved to be critical to its success: an initial face-to-face clinical encounter was added to the study design before onset of the mobile application-based intervention on the suggestion of the Youth Advisory Panel, and research participants reported this session to be important to them. Moreover, at UCSF, the We Are Family project, built on long-standing relationships between academic investigators and members of the local House Ball community (generally young sexual minority people of color who form families of choice and provide social support and/or housing), held group educational sessions hosted by the community partner (CAL-PEP), cohosted balls (glamorous events with participant competitions), established a mobile application-based support system that strengthened community cohesion, and hosted mobile HIV testing events.

The San Francisco Department of Public Health (SFDPH) PrEP By and For Transgender Persons Center, in partnership with 5 local clinics, developed and implemented the STAY Study, an innovative demonstration project that evaluated PrEP uptake, adherence, safety, impact on sexual risk behaviors, and potential interactions between the PrEP medication (tenofovir disoproxil fumarate/emtricitabine, or TDF/FTC) and gender-affirming hormonal therapy among transgender persons in the San Francisco Bay Area transgender community. This team piloted the use of PrEPmate, a mobile health intervention using MSM text messaging to promote adherence to PrEP medication and retention in PrEP care. As a result of working at multiple local clinics, they demonstrated that offering a decentralized PrEP-only clinic that was independent of primary care led to a rapid PrEP enrollment, including among those at greater sexual risk of acquiring HIV. Testing multiple social marketing campaigns, they found that campaigns that showed PrEP in the context of the beauty, vibrancy, and resilience of transgender and nonbinary communities were more acceptable than messages that sensationalized HIV and the promise of prevention. Continuity of care and medication provision are provided as part of peer navigation services at postintervention follow-up visits.

The UC San Diego PrEP By and For Transgender Persons Center conducted studies to address knowledge gaps of PrEP in transgender individuals for: (1) linkage and engagement of transgender persons to PrEP, (2) measuring and testing methods to improve adherence to PrEP, and (3) determining whether there are differences in TDF/FTC pharmacology for HIV-uninfected transgender persons who are taking gender-affirming hormonal therapy. The team conducted 2 primary studies: a randomized controlled clinical trial to evaluate the ability of a transgender PrEP outreach worker (T-POWr) to link HIV-uninfected transgender persons to PrEP providers; and a randomized controlled clinical demonstration project to determine whether the use of a text message–based adherence intervention (iTAB) plus a telephone-based, brief, motivational interviewing (MI-b) intervention improve retention in and adherence to PrEP compared with iTAB alone in transgender/GNC persons. Multiple substudies examined the interaction of gender-affirming hormonal therapy and PrEP and their effect on biomarkers of each; the role of resilience, social support, and coping skills in PrEP adherence; and (c) the impact of STIs, inflammation, and the vaginal microbiome on genital tenofovir (TFV) levels. Three new studies have arisen from the parent CHRP grant, further examining the interaction of gender-affirming hormones and PrEP when used by transgender persons.

The UCSF PrEP By and For Transgender Persons Center launched the TRIUMPH Project or Trans Research-Informed communities United in Mobilization for the Prevention of HIV. The team developed a PrEP delivery system and implemented a PrEP uptake and adherence intervention within a network of clinics and community-based organizations designed specifically to serve transgender communities and determined the feasibility, acceptability, and effectiveness of both. Their i-BrEATHe substudy assessed (1) the pharmacokinetics of daily oral tenofovir disoproxil fumarate/emtricitabine (TDF/FTC) in transgender women and transgender men, using directly observed therapy; (2) determined whether TDF/FTC drug concentrations were lower among transgender women who were using feminizing hormonal therapy and among transgender men who were using masculinizing hormonal therapy compared with historical controls in non–trans men who have sex with men without hormonal therapy; and (3) determined whether daily oral TDF/FTC was associated with comparable rates of adverse events (AEs) in transgender women and transgender men compared with historical controls in nontransgender MSM. A follow-on study of the implementation of the TRIUMPH intervention has been funded by NIH.

Persistent disparities in HIV incidence, prevalence, access to care, and other HIV-related health outcomes in California and the United States indicate that remediation efforts have been insufficient. To begin to mitigate these disparities and bring more equity to health outcomes, new ways of doing public health research must be adopted. The California HIV Research Program set out to demonstrate a new model for collaborative planning and implementation of public health research to address these persistent disparities across many highly specific populations throughout CA. We fostered collaborations, jointly developed a detailed research strategy, strengthened community ties to academia, and built capacity at local community-based organizations, all of which resulted in an extraordinary set of data, capabilities, and public health innovations. The cross-sector community collaborative model that these 6 groups codesigned served as a home for multiple community-based participatory research projects, each addressing diverse and marginalized groups at risk for or living with HIV. Including those groups in the research from its very formation was necessary for it’s success; the overarching aim of bringing equity to health outcomes among those communities was explicit from the beginning. As researchers and health planners look to the future, adopting this cross-sector framework of community engagement with unequivocal goals of diversity, equity, and inclusion at the planning stage could help to move us all toward ending the HIV epidemic, together.

Wednesday, October 20, 2021 – CHIPTS and our partners at Stanford University hosted an in-person/virtual (hybrid) symposium entitled “HIV, Methamphetamine Use, and Pulmonary Hypertension: From Blue Skies to an Integrated Research Agenda.” Chronic methamphetamine use with concomitant HIV infection is thought to act synergistically to fuel both the development and progression of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) – resulting in more rapid progression of disease and poorer outcomes among methamphetamine-using individuals living with HIV. However, the impacts of chronic methamphetamine use and HIV infection in relation to the diagnosis and clinical trajectory of PAH are not fully understood. Dr. Cherie S. Blair led this day-long, multidisciplinary “think tank” meeting of investigators from institutions across the US to discuss the development of an integrated research agenda to address HIV, methamphetamine use, and pulmonary hypertension.

The objectives of the symposium were to:

• Share the latest research findings and current state of knowledge surrounding HIV, methamphetamine use, and pulmonary hypertension.
• Define the behavioral research agenda for HIV, methamphetamine use, and pulmonary hypertension.
• Identify cross-disciplinary intersections to yield funded research on HIV, methamphetamine use, and pulmonary hypertension.

An expert panel of speakers were featured at the symposium, including:

• Stuti Agarwal, PhD (Stanford University)
• Jennifer Fulcher, MD, PhD (UCLA)
• Michael Li, PhD (UCLA)
• Vinicio de Jesus Perez, MD (Stanford University)
• Steve Shoptaw, PhD (UCLA)
• Madhukar Trivedi, MD (University of Texas Southwestern)
• Roham Zamanian, MD (Stanford University)

Please see the symposium flyer and recordings below. If you have any questions, please contact Cheríe Blair, MD, PhD, Assistant Clinical Professor in the UCLA Department of Medicine, at CherieBlair@mednet.ucla.edu.

HIV, Methamphetamine Use, and Pulmonary Hypertension: From Blue Skies to an Integrated Research Agenda - Flyer HIV, Methamphetamine Use, and Pulmonary Hypertension: From Blue Skies to an Integrated Research Agenda - Agenda

Agenda:

Event Recording:

Presentation Title: “Epidemiology of Methamphetamine Use and Infectious Diseases: Methamphetamine Use and Outcomes Along ART and CTRA Gene Expression”

Presenter: Michael Li, PhD (UCLA)

 

Presentation Title: “Pathophysiology and Clinical Outcomes of Pulmonary Hypertension Identifying Points for Prevention and Intervention”

Presenters: Vinicio de Jesus Perez, MD and Roham Zamanian, MD

 

Presentation Title: “Contributions of HIV and Methamphetamine Use to Pulmonary Hypertension Current State of What is Known”

Presenter: Stuti Agarwal, PhD (Stanford University)

 

Presentation Title: “Neuropsychiatric Complications Linked with Methamphetamine Use, Addiction and Cardiovascular Disease”

Presenter: Madhukar Trivedi, MD (University of Texas Southwestern)

 

Presentation Title: “Overview of Treatments for Methamphetamine Use Disorder”

Presenter: Steve Shoptaw, PhD (UCLA)

 

Presentation Title: “Pathophysiology and Mechanisms of Inflammation with Methamphetamine Use”

Presenter: Jennifer Fulcher, MD, PhD

This content originally appeared on HIV.gov. View the full article here.

HRSA has released the fiscal year (FY) 2022 Ending the HIV Epidemic – Primary Care HIV Prevention (PCHP) Notice of Funding Opportunity (HRSA-22-104). Through this competitive funding opportunity, HRSA will invest approximately $50 million in health centers located in the targeted geographic locations where a majority of new HIV infections occur, as identified by the Ending the HIV Epidemic in the U.S. initiative.

FY 2022 PCHP will support expanding HIV prevention services that decrease the risk of HIV transmission in underserved communities, focusing on supporting access to and use of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP). HRSA funded health centers with service delivery sites in the targeted geographic locations that did not receive FY 2020 PCHP or FY 2021 PCHP funding will be eligible to apply. Technical assistance (TA) resources are available on the PCHP TA webpage.
FY 2022 PCHP applications are due in:

• Grants.gov: Tuesday, December 14, 2021
• HRSA’s Electronic Handbooks: Tuesday, January 18, 2022

HRSA will host a TA webinar for applicants:

Thursday, October 28
2:00-3:00 p.m. ET
Join the day of the session
If you prefer to join by phone: 833-568-8864
When prompted, enter meeting/webinar ID: 160 011 6977

Read about the FY21 PCHP awards made in September and another post about the HIV services delivered by health centers in 2020.

This content originally appeared on HIV.gov. View the full article here.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is awarding $2.4 million over five years to 13 organizations nationwide to distribute materials and messages from its Let’s Stop HIV Together (Together) campaign, as well as other CDC HIV resources. The work will be carried out under the campaign’s second funding cycle of the Partnering and Communicating Together (PACT) program.

Together is CDC’s evidence-based campaign aimed at stopping HIV stigma and promoting HIV testing, prevention, and treatment. The campaign is part of the Ending the HIV Epidemic in the U.S. (EHE) initiative. Together includes free bilingual (English and Spanish) digital and print resources designed to reach a wide range of audiences and support health departments, community-based organizations, health care providers and community leaders in their collective effort to reach the goals outlined in EHE.

PACT organizations will promote Together campaign elements on their social and digital channels as well as at virtual and in-person events. The organizations have a history of working within communities most affected by HIV. As trusted sources of information within their communities, PACT organizations will use their extensive networks to expand the reach of the Together campaign. They will engage, educate, and mobilize communities to reduce the number of new HIV infections, improve the health of people with HIV, and reduce HIV-related stigma and disparities.

For more information about the Let’s Stop HIV Together campaign, visit the campaign’s website. You will find resources to support efforts to stop HIV stigma and promote HIV testing, prevention, and treatment.

PACT Member Organizations

Funding and activities for the PACT program are divided into two categories: A) Digital and Social Media and B) Events.

Category A: Digital and Social Media

• Advocates for Youth
• AIDS United
• American College of Preventive Medicine 
• National Black Justice Coalition
• National Hispanic Medical Association
• NMAC
• REACH LA

Category B: Events

• AIDS United
• Black AIDS Institute
• The Balm In Gilead, Inc.
• The Center for Black Health & Equity
• George Washington University
• Health HIV
• National Black Justice Coalition
• National Hispanic Medical Association
• Trans Equity Consulting

October 15 – Today, CHIPTS commemorates National Latinx AIDS Awareness Day (NLAAD), a day dedicated to recognizing the impact of HIV in the Latinx community. In honor of NLAAD, CHIPTS Combination Prevention Core Scientist Dr. Ronald A. Brooks shares a reflection on the impact of HIV among Latinx persons and recommended approaches to end the HIV epidemic in the Latinx community.

Dr. Brooks has dedicated his entire career here at UCLA to social-behavioral HIV research with Latinx sexual and gender minority populations. He also currently serves as the Interim Director of Research and Evaluation at Bienestar Human Services, one of the largest Latinx HIV service organization in the U.S. Read Dr. Brooks’ reflection below.

National Latinx AIDS Awareness Day

Each year on October 15^th we observe National Latinx AIDS Awareness Day (NLAAD) to bring attention to the impact of HIV on Latinx persons in the United States. NLAAD is a day to re-invigorate our commitment to promoting HIV awareness and testing, disseminating effective HIV prevention strategies such as pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), linking people to care for improved health outcomes, and working toward reducing HIV disparities and creating greater health equity in the Latinx community.

According to the CDC, Latinx persons accounted for over a quarter (28%) of all new HIV infections in the U.S in 2019, at a rate that was three times higher than that among non-Hispanic White persons. The overwhelming majority of new HIV infections in the Latinx community were among gay and bisexual men and other men who have sex with men. Another group severely impacted by HIV are Latina transgender women. The CDC’s recent HIV Surveillance Special Report assessing HIV Infection, Risk, Prevention, and Testing Behaviors Among Transgender Women in 7 US Cities, 2019-2020 found that 35% of Latina transgender women had HIV. For many Latinx sexual and gender minority persons, HIV looms like an omnipresent dark cloud over their lives. Moreover, one in six Latinx persons in the U.S. is unaware of their HIV status. As a result, they cannot take advantage of early HIV treatment to improve their health outcomes, and may continue to transmit HIV to others. With new HIV infections continuing to impact Latinx persons, now, more than ever, is the time to act to bring an end to the HIV epidemic in this community.

We have the tools to bring an end to the HIV epidemic among Latinx persons. Today’s HIV medications are simpler to take and less toxic and can help persons achieve viral suppression so they can no longer transmit the virus to others. PrEP is highly effective biomedical prevention strategy that can help reduce the rate of new HIV infections. However, multiple systemic, community, and individual-level barriers hinder access to these tools among Latinx persons. Barriers include experiences of stigma and discrimination resulting from homophobia, transphobia, and racism, and intersectional stigma stemming from the multiple marginalized identities of many Latinx persons (e.g., immigration status and lack of documentation, monolingual Spanish speaking, substance use disorder, sexual orientation, gender identity). Other systemic barriers include poverty and lack of access to quality health care services. On NLAAD, it is important to think about what interventions and resources are needed by Latinx communities across the country to help overcome these barriers and bring an end to HIV among all Latinx persons. In addition, it is important to consider the role that trusted Latinx community-based organizations can play in providing these HIV services to the community in a culturally affirming and respectful manner.

Moving forward, addressing the HIV epidemic among Latinx populations will require shifting our approach to be “status neutral.” This approach integrates prevention and treatment services so that both become part of the fabric of comprehensive primary prevention and care. By no longer separating these areas of HIV into silos, we can help mitigate HIV-related stigma that continues to plague our prevention and treatment efforts with this population.

Today, on NLAAD, I am encouraged by a new wave of emerging Latinx community leaders working in HIV prevention and treatment. These leaders are forging new and stronger partnerships with academic HIV researchers and public health departments to take on the HIV battle in novel and innovative ways. These partnerships involve more inclusion and participation of community in HIV research with Latinx populations — partnerships that will result in the creation of culturally-centered and more impactful strategies and interventions to end the HIV epidemic affecting all Latinx populations.