Published In

AIDS Education and Prevention

Document Type

Post-Print

Publication Date

2-2019

Subjects

HIV Infections, AIDS (Disease), HIV infections -- Prevention, Pre-exposure prophylaxis, Sexual minorities -- Medical care

Abstract

There are significant psychological, social, and cultural dimensions to the HIV epidemic in the United States, especially among lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) communities. Biomedical HIV treatment has been shown to impact these dimensions. However, there is little understanding of the real-world psychosocial and sociocultural effects of the latest biomedical HIV prevention strategy, HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP). This study explored the psychosocial and sociocultural dimensions of PrEP use among LGBTQ adults. We interviewed 23 LGBTQ adults who were current or former users of PrEP. Results included that PrEP users’ experiences were shaped by multiple forms of stigma. Participants were highly motivated to challenge PrEP stigma and to support PrEP use among other community members. Lastly, participants described positive impacts on their individual well-being and their sexual partnerships. Findings suggest that PrEP has significant impacts beyond biomedical outcomes for both the individuals who use PrEP and their communities.

Description

Copyright © 2019, Guilford Press. Reprinted with permission of The Guilford Press

DOI

10.1521/aeap.2019.31.1.51

Persistent Identifier

https://archives.pdx.edu/ds/psu/27979

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