A Rapid Qualitative Assessment of the Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on a Racially/Ethnically Diverse Sample of Gay, Bisexual, and Other Men who Have Sex with Men Living with HIV in the US South.
Scott D RhodesLilli Mann-JacksonJorge AlonzoManuel GarciaAmanda E TannerBenjamin D SmartDanielle N HorridgeCornelius N Van DamAimee M WilkinPublished in: AIDS and behavior (2021)
Persons living with HIV (PLWH) may be at increased risk for severe COVID-19-related illness. Our community-based participatory research partnership collected and analyzed semi-structured interview data to understand the early impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on a sample of racially/ethnically diverse gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men living with HIV. Fifteen cisgender men participated; their mean age was 28. Six participants were Black/African American, five were Spanish-speaking Latinx, and four were White. Seventeen themes emerged that were categorized into six domains: knowledge and perceptions of COVID-19; COVID-19 information sources and perceptions of trustworthiness; impact of COVID-19 on behaviors, health, and social determinants of health; and general COVID-19-related concerns. Interventions are needed to ensure that PLWH have updated information and adhere to medication regimens, and to reduce the impact of COVID-19 on social isolation, economic stability, healthcare access, and other social determinants of health within this vulnerable population.
Keyphrases
- men who have sex with men
- healthcare
- coronavirus disease
- hiv positive
- hiv testing
- sars cov
- public health
- health information
- african american
- mental health
- respiratory syndrome coronavirus
- south africa
- risk assessment
- drinking water
- deep learning
- hepatitis c virus
- social media
- artificial intelligence
- health promotion
- data analysis