Latinx Sexual Minority Men's Access to HIV and Behavioral Health Services in South Florida During COVID-19: A Qualitative Study of Barriers, Facilitators, and Innovations.
Audrey Harkness, Elliott R Weinstein, Pranusha Atuluru and 4 others
PMID 34939984WHAT IT FOUND
Some men described avoiding HIV testing and behavioral health care because clinics felt unsafe or confusing during COVID-19.
Remote visits, home test kits, and longer medication refills were described as helpful, but privacy and insurance worries remained.
Key findings
01Fear of exposure to COVID-19 was described as a barrier to HIV prevention services more than HIV treatment, and participants wanted clinics to show visible safety measures.
02Clinic closures and changed service delivery made it harder to get PrEP and created confusion about how to access HIV and behavioral health services.
03Participants described home delivery of HIV testing kits, PrEP, or ART, and 90-day ART refills as ways to reduce in-person access barriers.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The sample was purposive and small, so the themes may not apply outside South Florida or to other Latinx sexual minority men. The study used rapid qualitative analysis to answer questions quickly during the pandemic, not a longer traditional thematic analysis. The findings report patient experiences, not measured service outcomes or tested effects of remote care. Participants were recruited from existing studies, so they may differ from men who were not already connected to HIV or behavioral health research. Only quotations were transcribed, and analysis used interview summaries, which may miss interview context.
Declared interests
The article is listed as supported by NIH extramural research. One author receives royalties from Oxford University Press, Guilford Publications, and Springer/Humana Press for books on cognitive behavioral therapy. The other authors report no competing interests.
The easy way to misread this
Do not treat these themes as proof that telehealth or home delivery works for all patients. The study reported experiences from a small group of men in South Florida, not outcomes from a tested service change.