Fostering Collaboration to Address HIV Disparities in LA
Creators: name: University Of California Office Of The President
Publisher: name: University of California Office of the President
publisherIdentifier: https://ror.org/00dmfq477
publisherIdentifierScheme: ROR
Year: 2024

description: Lay Abstract The UCLA CFAR Health Disparities Core�s mission and goals complement the mission the UCLA CFAR, increase its scientific breadth and enhance its potential to positively impact the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Los Angeles County (LAC). Its mission is to build and maintain research and community connections in LAC to reduce the risk and burden of HIV and meet unmet needs for HIV testing and treatment to better address the County�s HIV/AIDS epidemic which continues to grow in communities of color especially among African American men who have sex with men (MSM), African American women, and African American young MSM, ages 13-24 years. The Core�s goals are to build and sustain collaborative partnerships between research and at-risk vulnerable communities in LAC; foster the implementation and coordination of two HIV-related health disparities intervention research projects using a community-based participatory research (CBPR) model; and to facilitate culturally appropriate community outreach and dissemination of the research projects, with a focus on reaching out to and engaging communities in the area of highest HIV incidence. The Core�s activities include strategic planning; linkage to the CFAR; providing scientific leadership, including monitoring and evaluating of the Core�s research agenda; convening an External Advisory Board of community partners to assist the Core by providing oversight and direction; and planning, implementing, and evaluating dissemination activities; implementing two interventions with a high probability of reducing HIV-related health disparities. Project 1 aims to: 1) Adapt HealthMindr, a previously developed and tested mobile app HIV intervention, for African American/Black Young MSM using qualitative methods and CBPR. 2) Implement and evaluate HealthMindr in a randomized controlled trial with 400 HIV-negative/ HIV-unaware and HIV-positive AA/B YMSM comparing HIV-related health outcomes between participants who receive HealthMindr only to participants who receive HealthMindr combined with social work and legal interventions. Technology-based interventions and case management have shown promise in improving outreach, testing and linkage to HIV care for other high-risk populations of color; however, these programs have not been tailored specifically for AA/BYMSM or for mobile smartphone platforms. Outcomes, including HIV testing and evidence of linkage to HIV and social/legal services, will be assessed. Project 2 will to evaluate the impact of three separate methods to promote HIV testing among homeless youth (HY) at risk for HIV. In LAC, each night more than 4000 youth aged 13 to 24 spend the night on the streets: 66% of are racial/ethnic minorities and 40% are lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender. Many HY are unaware of their HIV status; many racial/ethnic minority HY do not get tested for HIV regularly. A Peer Change Agent (PCA) model could be particularly effective for HY, given their distrust of adults and their important interconnections with one another. CBPR will be used to refine the intervention protocol. The intervention will be examined in a RCT of 900 HY assigned to one of three groups: (1) pro-social peers promoting HIV testing, (2) structurally most efficient peers promoting HIV testing, selected via PSINET, and (3) general health promotion control. Results will be evaluated and disseminated to scientific and community-based audiences.