Perceptions of bias in HIV prevention services, happiness with social support, and anticipated PrEP stigma among Black and Latine/x sexual and gender diverse individuals

ABSTRACT

Although pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is a highly effective preventive treatment for HIV, anticipated PrEP stigma can hinder uptake. Perceptions of bias in HIV prevention and evaluations (e.g., happiness) tied to social support among Black and Latine/x sexual and gender diverse (SGD) individuals could be important correlates of anticipated PrEP stigma. To further this line of inquiry, a national sample of 872 Black and Latine/x SGD individuals who had and had never taken PrEP (M_age = 25.1, SD = 2.8) reported how they perceived HIV prevention and how happy they were with their social support. Multivariable linear regressions revealed that greater perceptions of bias in HIV prevention services were associated with higher anticipated PrEP stigma among Black and Latine/x SGD individuals who have never taken PrEP. Greater happiness with friend support was associated with lower PrEP stigma, whereas greater happiness with family support was associated with higher PrEP stigma among individuals who have taken PrEP. Findings highlight the need for PrEP and HIV interventions to address the intersectional stigma attached to prevention and for researchers to understand how evaluations of social support may contribute to stigma among Black and Latine/x SGD individuals.

KEYWORDS:

• PrEP
• anticipated stigma
• HIV prevention
• bias
• SGD

Sustainable Development Goals:

• Good health and well-being
• Reduced inequalities

Acknowledgments

The authors thank study participants for their time.

Availability of data and materials

Available upon request.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Ethics approval

This research involved human subjects and was conducted with the approval of the University of Connecticut Institutional Review Board, and research was conducted in accordance with the ethical standards as laid down in the 1964 Declaration of Helsinki and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the National Institutes of Health under grant number [K01DA047918]. The opinions expressed in this article are the author's own and do not reflect the view of the National Institutes of Health.