House Ball Community Leaders’ Perceptions of HIV and HIV Vaccine Research
Background or Objectives: Worldwide, men who have sex with men (MSM) and Transgender persons are vulnerable to psychosocial factors associated with high risk for HIV, and suffer disproportionately high rates of HIV/AIDS. In the United States (US), the House Ball Community (HBC) is a social network c...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Global Health and Education Projects, Inc.
2020-02-01
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| Series: | International Journal of Maternal and Child Health and AIDS |
| Online Access: | https://www.mchandaids.org/index.php/IJMA/article/view/331 |
| _version_ | 1811191137889681408 |
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| author | Amina P. Alio, PhD Candace Sibley, MPH Halimah S. Ouedraogo, BA Stephaun E. Wallace, PhD Steven Wakefield, BA Damon L. Humes, MHS Sheldon D. Fields, PhD Michael C. Keefer, MD |
| author_facet | Amina P. Alio, PhD Candace Sibley, MPH Halimah S. Ouedraogo, BA Stephaun E. Wallace, PhD Steven Wakefield, BA Damon L. Humes, MHS Sheldon D. Fields, PhD Michael C. Keefer, MD |
| author_sort | Amina P. Alio, PhD |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Background or Objectives: Worldwide, men who have sex with men (MSM) and Transgender persons are vulnerable to psychosocial factors associated with high risk for HIV, and suffer disproportionately high rates of HIV/AIDS. In the United States (US), the House Ball Community (HBC) is a social network comprised predominantly of Black and Hispanic MSM and Transgender persons who reside in communal settings. This study explores Western New York HBC leaders’ perceptions of HIV in their communities and their knowledge of HIV prevention strategies, including HIV vaccine trials.
Methods: The project was conducted using an exploratory approach based on the principles of Community-Based Participatory Research (CBPR) methods. An HIV behavioral risk assessment provided descriptive data, while qualitative measures explored psychosocial and behavioral factors.
Results: Behavioral assessments indicated high levels of risky sexual behaviors and experiences of violence. Interviews with 14 HBC leaders revealed that knowledge of HIV and local HIV vaccines trials was limited. Barriers to HIV knowledge included fear of peer judgment, having inaccurate information, and lack of formal education. Experiencing violence was identified as barrier to positive health behavior. Nevertheless, the HBC was described as a safe and creative space for marginalized MSM and Transgender youth.
Conclusion and Global Health Implications: Findings suggest that the interrelation between health problems and social context amplify HIV risk in the HBC. The organizational structure and resources of the HBC, and MSM/Transgender communities worldwide can be instrumental in informing interventions to address HIV-related risk behaviors and create appropriate recruitment tools to ensure their representation in HIV research.
Key words: • LGBT • HIV • MSM • Transgender populations • MSM/Transgender psychosocial • HIV risk factors • HIV and black/Latino MSM • Syndemic factors • MSM/Transgender communities
Copyright © 2020 Alio et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-11T15:00:36Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-7207b6b3665f4e189da6ff546f314e72 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2161-8674 2161-864X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-11T15:00:36Z |
| publishDate | 2020-02-01 |
| publisher | Global Health and Education Projects, Inc. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | International Journal of Maternal and Child Health and AIDS |
| spelling | doaj.art-7207b6b3665f4e189da6ff546f314e722022-12-22T04:16:58ZengGlobal Health and Education Projects, Inc.International Journal of Maternal and Child Health and AIDS2161-86742161-864X2020-02-019110.21106/ijma.331House Ball Community Leaders’ Perceptions of HIV and HIV Vaccine ResearchAmina P. Alio, PhD0Candace Sibley, MPH1Halimah S. Ouedraogo, BA2Stephaun E. Wallace, PhD3Steven Wakefield, BA4Damon L. Humes, MHS5Sheldon D. Fields, PhD6Michael C. Keefer, MD7University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Department of Public Health Sciences, Division of Social and Behavioral Sciences, 265 Crittenden Blvd, Rochester NY, 14642, USAICF International, 3 Corporate Blvd NE #370, Atlanta, GA 30329, USAUniversity of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Department of Public Health Sciences, Division of Social and Behavioral Sciences, 265 Crittenden Blvd, Rochester NY, 14642, USAFred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, 1100 Fairview Ave N, Seattle, WA 98109, USAFred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, 1100 Fairview Ave N, Seattle, WA 98109, USAFred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, 1100 Fairview Ave N, Seattle, WA 98109, USANew York Institute of Technology, School of Health Professions, Riland Academic Health Center, Room 347, Old Westbury, NY, 11568, USAUniversity of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Department of Public Health Sciences, Division of Social and Behavioral Sciences, 265 Crittenden Blvd, Rochester NY, 14642, USABackground or Objectives: Worldwide, men who have sex with men (MSM) and Transgender persons are vulnerable to psychosocial factors associated with high risk for HIV, and suffer disproportionately high rates of HIV/AIDS. In the United States (US), the House Ball Community (HBC) is a social network comprised predominantly of Black and Hispanic MSM and Transgender persons who reside in communal settings. This study explores Western New York HBC leaders’ perceptions of HIV in their communities and their knowledge of HIV prevention strategies, including HIV vaccine trials. Methods: The project was conducted using an exploratory approach based on the principles of Community-Based Participatory Research (CBPR) methods. An HIV behavioral risk assessment provided descriptive data, while qualitative measures explored psychosocial and behavioral factors. Results: Behavioral assessments indicated high levels of risky sexual behaviors and experiences of violence. Interviews with 14 HBC leaders revealed that knowledge of HIV and local HIV vaccines trials was limited. Barriers to HIV knowledge included fear of peer judgment, having inaccurate information, and lack of formal education. Experiencing violence was identified as barrier to positive health behavior. Nevertheless, the HBC was described as a safe and creative space for marginalized MSM and Transgender youth. Conclusion and Global Health Implications: Findings suggest that the interrelation between health problems and social context amplify HIV risk in the HBC. The organizational structure and resources of the HBC, and MSM/Transgender communities worldwide can be instrumental in informing interventions to address HIV-related risk behaviors and create appropriate recruitment tools to ensure their representation in HIV research. Key words: • LGBT • HIV • MSM • Transgender populations • MSM/Transgender psychosocial • HIV risk factors • HIV and black/Latino MSM • Syndemic factors • MSM/Transgender communities Copyright © 2020 Alio et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.https://www.mchandaids.org/index.php/IJMA/article/view/331 |
| spellingShingle | Amina P. Alio, PhD Candace Sibley, MPH Halimah S. Ouedraogo, BA Stephaun E. Wallace, PhD Steven Wakefield, BA Damon L. Humes, MHS Sheldon D. Fields, PhD Michael C. Keefer, MD House Ball Community Leaders’ Perceptions of HIV and HIV Vaccine Research International Journal of Maternal and Child Health and AIDS |
| title | House Ball Community Leaders’ Perceptions of HIV and HIV Vaccine Research |
| title_full | House Ball Community Leaders’ Perceptions of HIV and HIV Vaccine Research |
| title_fullStr | House Ball Community Leaders’ Perceptions of HIV and HIV Vaccine Research |
| title_full_unstemmed | House Ball Community Leaders’ Perceptions of HIV and HIV Vaccine Research |
| title_short | House Ball Community Leaders’ Perceptions of HIV and HIV Vaccine Research |
| title_sort | house ball community leaders perceptions of hiv and hiv vaccine research |
| url | https://www.mchandaids.org/index.php/IJMA/article/view/331 |
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