Faith-based HIV prevention for African American MSM
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: Young Black men who have sex with men (YBMSM) are at extremely high risk for HIV both in California and throughout the U.S. Since current community-based strategies have been insufficient to prevent the further spread of HIV among YBMSM, we propose a new approach involving a collaboration between African American churches and experienced HIV prevention researchers. Through this collaborative, community-based, participatory research project, the Unity Fellowship Church Movement (UFCM) will partner with UCSF’s Center for AIDS Prevention Studies (CAPS) to develop an innovative HIV/AIDS prevention approach, positioned within a faith-based organization, that will mobilize YBMSM ages 18-29 to reach into the Black community to encourage their HIV-negative and HIV-positive peers to have safer sex, obtain HIV testing services, and to access appropriate medical treatment as necessary. UFCM is a California-based network of Black Churches who minister to over 4,000 individuals. UFCM is an “open and affirming” (ONA) ministry, meaning that it publicly welcomes and fully includes people of all sexual orientations and identities into their programs, leadership, and ministries. UFCM focuses on empowering those who have been oppressed and made to feel shame, and the Movement works to facilitate social change and improve the life chances for those who have been rejected by society’s institutions and systems. UFCM is in a unique position to provide innovative, community-level HIV prevention programs for YBMSM because it combines the influence, importance, and history of the Black church along with a welcoming, supportive, and healing mission. CAPS conducts domestic and international research to prevent the acquisition of HIV and to optimize health outcomes among HIV-infected individuals. Since its inception in 1986, CAPS has grown to become one of the world’s leading AIDS prevention and policy research institutions. In order to develop an intervention that can be successfully implemented by UFCM and other ONA Black Churches, we must first assess the characteristics of these faith-based organizations that facilitate or impede their implementation of HIV prevention interventions. These characteristics include (1) their size, organizational structure, congregants, funding sources, and existing mission statements; (2) their current HIV prevention or other health promotion activities; and (3) their attitudes towards same-sex sexuality, HIV, and HIV prevention programming. Second, we will identify YBMSM’s (both those who are and are not church-involved) perceived barriers and facilitators to participating in an intervention delivered by Black churches. Finally, we will develop the intervention itself. While the exact components of the intervention will be determined during this project, we will build on the findings of our previous UARP-funded work that has been tailoring an existing community-level intervention (i.e., the Mpowerment Project) to the needs of YBMSM. Significant further adaptation will be required to facilitate its implementation within faith-based organizations, and to develop and incorporate new elements that encourage testing and treatment. This adaptation will occur through a collaborative process in which information gathered in steps one and two above is assimilated with both UFCM’s expertise in conducting outreach and empowerment with YBMSM and CAPS investigators’ past experience in tailoring interventions for this population.