Open Access“It’s Very Inconvenient for Me”: A Mixed-Method Study Assessing Barriers and Facilitators of Adolescent Sexual Minority Males Attending PrEP Follow-Up Appointments
Author(s) -
Christopher L. Owens,
Kevin Moran,
Melissa Mongrella,
David Moskowitz,
Brian Mustanski,
Kathryn Macapagal
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
aids and behavior
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.994
H-Index - 106
eISSN - 1573-3254
pISSN - 1090-7165
DOI - 10.1007/s10461-021-03313-w
Subject(s) - health psychology , psychology , qualitative research , human sexuality , perception , population , sexual orientation , human immunodeficiency virus (hiv) , primary care , clinical psychology , public health , family medicine , medicine , social psychology , nursing , environmental health , gender studies , social science , neuroscience , sociology
Researching PrEP retention in adolescent sexual minority men (ASMM) is critical to increasing persistence of PrEP in this priority population, yet this research is lacking. ASMM (N = 1433) completed a baseline survey for an online HIV prevention program between 2018 and 2020. Open- and closed-ended survey items identified their beliefs about attending 3-month PrEP follow-up appointments and examined the association of Andersen's Behavioral Model factors (predisposing, enabling, and need) and confidence to attend these appointments. Qualitative and quantitative findings show that perceived parental support is a salient factor in ASMM attending PrEP follow-up appointments. Participants did not want to have to go to the doctor and get bloodwork done trimonthly, and qualitative findings elucidated rationales for this, such as perceptions that follow-ups might be time-consuming, costly, and could out their sexuality to their parents. This study suggests that parents are gatekeepers for ASMM to initiate and sustain the PrEP care continuum.