The Equitable Injectable PrEP in LA County Initiative

General Information

Summary: Facilitating the equitable dissemination of information about long-acting injectable PrEP to Black and Latina/o transgender women and men who have sex with men in Los Angeles County

Historically, Latino/a and Black populations have continuously lagged behind more privileged and well-resourced White gay male populations in receiving information about the latest HIV innovations for both treatment and prevention. As a result, Latino/a and Black populations have not benefitted from early adoption of these innovations. This has contributed to the HIV disparities that persist today.

The Equitable Injectable PrEP in LA County Initiative seeks to address the delay in disseminating information on the latest HIV innovation, Long-Acting Injectable Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (LAI PrEP), to Black and Latina/o transgender women and men who have sex with men (BLTGW/MSM) in Los Angeles County. To do this, we are developing and implementing a series of online community workshops to provide accurate and up-to-date information on LAI PrEP-related topics that are of relevance to BLTGW/MSM consumers and their service providers.

Our Collaborators

This initiative is being developed and implemented in collaboration with:

Community Partners

In The Meantime Men’s Group

In the Meantime Men’s Group, Inc. is a 501(C)3 non-profit community service organization. Over the past 23 years, In The Meantime has been on the forefront of creating an environment that supports, empowers and educates black, gay, same gender-loving and bi-sexual men in Los Angeles County

Bienestar Human Services

Bienestar is a community-based social services organization serving Greater Los Angeles. Since 1989, they have worked to address emerging health issues faced by Latinx and LGBTQ+ populations through education and support programs encompassing HIV/AIDS prevention, STI testing and treatment, mental health services, substance use, and harm reduction.

Friends Community Center

Friends Community Center is the Los Angeles community site for Friends Research Institute, Inc. The Center provides services for and conducts research with substance-using gay and bisexual men, other men who have sex with men, and trans and gender-expansive individuals with multiple health disparities. Their objective is to reduce HIV transmission and acquisition and the risks that can result from substance use.

Key Stakeholder Groups

Los Angeles County Commission on HIV

The Los Angeles County Commission on HIV focuses on the local HIV/AIDS epidemic and responds to the changing needs of People Living With HIV/AIDS within the communities of Los Angeles County. The Commission aims to provide an effective continuum of care that addresses consumer needs in a sensitive prevention and care/treatment model that is culturally and linguistically competent and is inclusive of all Service Planning Areas (SPAs) and Health Districts (HDs).

Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, Division of HIV and STD Programs

The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, Division of HIV and STD Programs (DHSP) works closely and collaboratively with community-based organizations, other governmental offices, advocates, and people living with HIV/AIDS as it seeks to control the spread of HIV and sexually transmitted diseases, monitor HIV/AIDS and STD morbidity and mortality, increase access to care for those in need, and eliminate HIV-related health inequalities.

Community Workshops

The goal of the community workshops is to prioritize and preemptively build service provider and consumer awareness, knowledge, and confidence in LAI PrEP as a new HIV prevention option for BLTGW/MSM in Los Angeles County. For additional information, please contact Dr. Ron Brooks at rabrooks@mednet.ucla.edu. This initiative is supported by an Ending the HIV Epidemic supplement award to CHIPTS from the National Institute of Mental Health.

Past Sessions

Workshop 1A: State of the Science - For Healthcare Providers (February 27, 2023 from 12:00 p.m. – 1:30 p.m. PT)

The Equitable Injectable PrEP in LA County Initiative presented a workshop with Dr. Raphael J. Landovitz on up-to-date scientific information and clinical considerations for the implementation of long-acting injectable PrEP. The primary audience for this workshop was healthcare providers who serve Black and/or Latina/o transgender women and/or men who have sex with men in Los Angeles County.


Workshop 1A: For Healthcare Providers - Slides

 
Workshop 1A: For Healthcare Providers - Flyer

Recording:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=93sgUwquJfQ

Workshop 1B: State of the Science - For Community Members And Frontline Staff (March 8, 2023 from 10:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. PT)

The Equitable Injectable PrEP in LA County Initiative presented a workshop with Dr. Raphael J. Landovitz on up-to-date scientific and medical information about long-acting injectable PrEP for HIV prevention. The primary audience was community members and frontline staff. The workshop was conducted in English with live simultaneous Spanish translation for monolingual Spanish speakers. For access to the recording with live Spanish translation, please contact Elena Rosenberg-Carlson at erosenberg-carlson@mednet.ucla.edu.


Workshop 1B: For Community Members And Frontline Staff - Slides


Workshop 1B: For Community Members And Frontline Staff - Flyer

Recording:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_diT13jjhaE

Workshop 3: Accessing LAI PrEP in LA County (May 2, 2023 from 10:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. PT)

CHIPTS hosted an online community workshop on Accessing LAI PrEP in LA County: Where We Are and Where We Need to Go  on Tuesday, May 2, from 10:00-11:30 AM PT! Hosted by our Equitable Injectable PrEP in LA County Initiative, this workshop will cover how and where individuals can access long-acting injectable (LAI) PrEP in LA County.

The primary audiences for this workshop are healthcare providers and frontline staff who serve Black/Latino/a MSM and/or transgender women (BLMSM/TW) in LAC, and BLMSM/TW community members and consumers. However, anyone who is interested may attend. The workshop will be conducted in English with live Spanish translation.


Accessing LAI PrEP in LA County: Where We Are and Where We Need to Go - Slides


Accessing LAI PrEP in LA County: Where We Are and Where We Need to Go (English) - Flyer


Accessing LAI PrEP in LA County: Where We Are and Where We Need to Go (Spanish) - Flyer

Recording:

English Recording:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=giTwi9HPe8E

Spanish Recording:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BLxDCJ0Qzjc

Workshop 4: Implementing LAI PrEP with Black/Latino MSM and Transgender Women (September 28, 2023 from 10:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. PT)

CHIPTS hosted an online community workshop on Implementing LAI PrEP with Black and Latino/a MSM and Transgender Women (BLMSM/TW): Practical and Cultural Considerations  on Thursday, September 28, 2023, from 10:00-11:30 AM PT  PT! Hosted by our Equitable Injectable PrEP in LA County Initiative, this workshop will cover practical strategies for implementing long-acting injectable PrEP in your clinic and cultural considerations for effectively serving BLMSM/TW in Los Angeles County with this new prevention option.

The primary audiences for this workshop are healthcare providers and frontline staff who serve Black/Latino/a MSM and/or transgender women (BLMSM/TW) in LAC, and BLMSM/TW community members and consumers. However, anyone who is interested may attend.


Implementing LAI PrEP with Black and Latino/a MSM and Transgender Women (BLMSM/TW): Practical and Cultural Considerations - Slides


Implementing LAI PrEP with Black and Latino/a MSM and Transgender Women (BLMSM/TW): Practical and Cultural Considerations - Q&A

Recording:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_cPCfg_6tLU

Workshop 5: Let’s Talk About PrEP! Tips and Tools for Effective Messaging (March 26, 2024 from 10:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. PT)

CHIPTS hosted an online community workshop entitled “Let’s Talk About PrEP! Tips and Tools for Effective Messaging,” on Tuesday, March 26, 2024, from 10:00-11:30 AM PT  PT! Hosted by our Equitable Injectable PrEP in LA County Initiative, this workshop featured Senior Consultant Robbyn Kistler of KFF’s Social Impact Media Program who discussed techniques and resources community partners can use to communicate effectively about PrEP to populations disproportionately impacted by HIV in LA County.

The primary audiences for this workshop are healthcare providers and frontline staff who serve Black/Latino/a MSM and/or transgender women (BLMSM/TW) in LAC, and BLMSM/TW community members and consumers. However, anyone who is interested may attend.


Let’s Talk About PrEP! Tips and Tools for Effective Messaging - Slides

Recording:

https://youtu.be/GZcsUZm8JRA

Workshop 6: Uplifting the Voices of Black and Latino/a MSM and Transgender Women (March 25, 2024 from 10:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. PT)

CHIPTS hosted an online community workshop entitled “Uplifting the Voices of Black and Latino/a MSM and Transgender Women: Experiences with Injectable PrEP” on Tuesday, June 25, 2024, from 10:00-11:30 AM PT  PT! Hosted by our Equitable Injectable PrEP in LA County Initiative, this workshop featured a panel of Black and Latino/a cisgender MSM and transgender women (BLMSM/TW) who will share their experiences with injectable PrEP in Los Angeles County.

The primary audience for this workshop is BLMSM/TW community members and HIV service providers in Los Angeles County. All are welcome. Please share this opportunity with your networks.


Uplifting the Voices of Black and Latino/a MSM and Transgender Women - Slides

Recording:

https://youtu.be/TAKAMApN-2g