Community-clinic linkages for promoting HIV prevention: organizational networks for PrEP client referrals and collaborations.

Community-clinic linkages may help communities increase HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) uptake. Referrals from community-based organizations may be particularly important for linking Black men who have sex with men (MSM) to PrEP. This study describes PrEP referral and HIV/STI prevention networks among organizations that serve MSM in Houston, TX (N = 40), and Chicago, IL (N = 28), and compares network positions of organizations based on percentage of Black/African American clients. A majority of organizations conducted PrEP awareness/promotion activities, but fewer made PrEP referrals, with little overlap between the collaboration and referral networks. The networks tended to have a densely connected core group of organizations and more a peripheral group of organizations linking into the core with relatively few times among themselves; this core/periphery structure is efficient, but vulnerable to disruptions. The percentage of Black/African American clients organizations served was not related to most measures of network centrality. However, in Houston's collaboration network, higher Black-serving organizations tended not to hold as influential positions for controlling communications or flows of resources. The findings indicate a potential to leverage collaborations into PrEP referral pathways to enhance PrEP promotion efforts and identify opportunities to address racial disparities in PrEP uptake.

HIV Knowledge of Middle Eastern and North Africans 18-35 Residing in the U.S.: A Cross Sectional Study.

The current body of literature on the HIV knowledge related to young adult Middle Eastern and North African (MENA) individuals residing in the United States is substantially underdeveloped. As the number of MENA individuals residing in the US continues to rise, there remains a need for research investigating the levels of general HIV knowledge for this unique group. An exploratory cross-sectional design was used for an anonymous online survey of MENA adults ages 18-35 (n = 198) residing in the United States concerning their levels of HIV knowledge. Results showed that less than fifty percent (46.40%) of the sample reported adequate knowledge of HIV transmission and prevention methods. Multiple regression analyses indicate that prior sexual health education, prior HIV testing, a four-year college degree and identification as a Muslim predicted higher HIV knowledge. These findings may assist with the development of MENA specific HIV prevention and education programs.

SMART Cougars: Development and Feasibility of a Campus-based HIV Prevention Intervention.

University campuses are promising sites for service implementation because they have the infrastructure to support services, offer access to an otherwise difficult to reach population, and prioritize knowledge sharing among all entities. As HIV rates continue to rise among minority young adults, the need to implement innovative programs at the university level also increases. The University of Houston's (UH) Substance Use, Mental Health, and HIV/AIDS Risk Assessment and Testing (SMART Cougars) program provides HIV testing and education, mental health, and substance abuse services and referrals to students on campus and in surrounding communities. The aim of this paper is to describe development and examine feasibility of SMART Cougars (SC). Using Bowen's feasibility framework, we found that SC produced a demand, was acceptable and appropriate, implemented without many challenges, and integrated among university and community settings. Combined, these factors and processes changed social norms around sexual health messages on campus.