Perspectives on Social Support and Stigma in PrEP-related Care among Gay and Bisexual Men: A Qualitative Investigation. J Homosex 2022 Jan 28;69(2):254-276
Date
09/23/2020Pubmed ID
32960750DOI
10.1080/00918369.2020.1819709Scopus ID
2-s2.0-85091309868 (requires institutional sign-in at Scopus site) 10 CitationsAbstract
Despite its effectiveness at preventing HIV, uptake of PrEP has been slow. PrEP-related stigma is a potential barrier to uptake. Social support has been found to buffer against some PrEP stigma. Unfortunately, little research has investigated the relationship between social support and PrEP-related care. In 2018, we conducted 20 semistructured interviews with MSM who use PrEP (ages 22-70). Interview questions explored social support and PrEP-related stigma, and how these and other psychosocial factors affected PrEP use and continuation. Data were analyzed using grounded theory. Social support was important in PrEP-related care and promoted adaptive behavioral responses, such as adherence to PrEP-related medical care and enhancing resilience to stress. Participants described psychosocial benefits of PrEP, such as reduced HIV-related anxiety, but some also reported that PrEP-related stigma was an additional stressor. Findings suggest that social support has significant impacts within PrEP-related care and may help buffer against stigma.
Author List
Zapata JP, Petroll A, de St Aubin E, Quinn KAuthors
Andrew Petroll MD Professor in the Medicine department at Medical College of WisconsinKatherine Quinn PhD Associate Professor in the Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine department at Medical College of Wisconsin
MESH terms used to index this publication - Major topics in bold
AdultAged
Homosexuality, Male
Humans
Male
Middle Aged
Sexual Behavior
Sexual and Gender Minorities
Social Stigma
Social Support
Young Adult
