Navigating Pre-exposure Prophylaxis Access: Qualitative Insights From Black Women at a Northeastern Historically Black College and University

Marissa Robinson; Gloria Aidoo-Frimpong; LaRon Nelson; Michelle Sandoval-Rosario; Brittany Williams; Rasheeta Chandler

doi:10.1097/JNC.0000000000000470

Navigating Pre-exposure Prophylaxis Access: Qualitative Insights From Black Women at a Northeastern Historically Black College and University

J Assoc Nurses AIDS Care. 2024 May-Jun;35(3):234-244. doi: 10.1097/JNC.0000000000000470.

Authors

Marissa Robinson^{1

2

3

4

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6}, Gloria Aidoo-Frimpong^{1

2

3

4

5

6}, LaRon Nelson^{1

2

3

4

5

6}, Michelle Sandoval-Rosario^{1

2

3

4

5

6}, Brittany Williams^{1

2

3

4

5

6}, Rasheeta Chandler^{1

2

3

4

5

6}

Affiliations

¹ Marissa Robinson, DrPH, MPH, is an Ending the HIV Epidemic Coordinator, The Department of Health and Human Services, Washington, District of Columbia, USA.
² Gloria Aidoo-Frimpong, PhD, MPH, MA, is a Postdoctoral Fellow, Center for Interdisciplinary Research on AIDS, Yale AIDS Prevention Program, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, Connecticut, USA.
³ LaRon Nelson, PhD, RN, FNP, FNAP, FNYAM, FAAN, is an Independence Foundation Professor, Nursing and Associate Dean of Global Affairs and Planetary Health, Yale School of Nursing, New Haven, Connecticut, USA.
⁴ Michelle Sandoval-Rosario, DrPH, MPH, is a Deputy Director, hiv.gov for The Department of Health and Human Services, Washington, District of Columbia, USA.
⁵ Brittany Williams, PhD, MA, is an Assistant Professor, the Higher Education and Student Affairs Administration program, University of Vermont, Burlington, Vermont, USA.
⁶ Rasheeta Chandler, PhD, RN, FNP-BC, FAANP, FAAN, is an Associate Professor, Emory University's Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing, Atlanta, Georgia, USA.

PMID: 38949902
DOI: 10.1097/JNC.0000000000000470

Abstract

Black women are essential to ending the HIV epidemic in the United States; yet prevention, access, testing, and structural racism affect how HIV disproportionately affects them. Limited public health research focuses on Black women attending Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and the ability to address HIV prevention, such as pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) uptake. PrEP is a once-daily oral pill used to prevent HIV transmission and has suboptimal uptake within the Black community. This generic qualitative descriptive analysis identifies the barriers and facilitators of PrEP uptake among Black women attending an HBCU using the health belief model. Overall, 22 Black college women participated in a 60-minute focus group. Emergent categories were as follows: (a) Barriers-stigma, cost, and side effects; (b) Facilitators-PrEP's effectiveness, exposure to HIV, and unprotected sex. Our findings can inform future efforts to increase PrEP uptake among Black women attending an HBCU.

MeSH terms

Adolescent
Adult
Anti-HIV Agents* / administration & dosage
Anti-HIV Agents* / therapeutic use
Black or African American* / psychology
Black or African American* / statistics & numerical data
Female
Focus Groups*
HIV Infections* / ethnology
HIV Infections* / prevention & control
Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice*
Health Services Accessibility*
Humans
Patient Acceptance of Health Care / ethnology
Patient Acceptance of Health Care / statistics & numerical data
Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis* / methods
Qualitative Research*
Racism
Social Stigma*
Students / psychology
Students / statistics & numerical data
Universities
Young Adult

Substances

Anti-HIV Agents