Deterrents and motivators of HIV testing among young Black men who have sex with men in North Carolina

ABSTRACT

In the United States (US), young, Black men who have sex with men (YBMSM) are disproportionately affected by HIV. Delayed and infrequent HIV testing has been associated with the increased likelihood of YBMSM to be infected, yet unaware. Despite increased efforts to provide HIV testing to YBMSM in the US, HIV testing remains underutilized by YBMSM in the South. To develop strategies to increase HIV testing, this study sought to understand the factors that affect HIV testing utilization among YBMSM. Twenty-two HIV-positive and HIV-negative YBMSM aged 22–33 in North Carolina participated in semistructured interviews. Qualitative thematic analysis revealed that deterrents and motivators to HIV testing spanned individual, social, and structural levels. Deterrents included a low perceived risk of HIV, fear of receiving an HIV-positive test result, lack of HIV testing locations, healthcare provider mistreatment and privacy concerns due to intersectional stigma. Motivators of HIV testing included health maintenance, social support, and increased access to HIV testing. The findings from this study contribute to ongoing research that aims to address inconsistent HIV testing and late HIV diagnosis among YBMSM. Interventions to address intersectional stigma in community and healthcare settings can enhance utilization of HIV prevention services .

KEYWORDS:

• HIV testing
• late testing
• men who have sex with men
• Black/African-American
• intersectional stigma

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

The authors are supported by the National Institute of Mental Health of the National Institutes of Health [Award Number R25MH087217]. Research reported in this publication was supported by the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health [Award Number R25MH080665]. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.