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Bon Sante (Good Health): Factors Influencing PrEP Use Among Haitians/Haitian Americans

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Journal of Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Background

The HIV/AIDS epidemic has disproportionately affected Black individuals in the USA, and this health disparity has increased over time. Despite the effectiveness of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) as a prevention tool for HIV, there are disparities in its use, and uptake of this intervention remains low among racial and ethnic minorities, including Haitians/Haitian Americans. In this study, factors influencing PrEP use among Haitians/Haitian Americans in Miami, FL, are explored to provide necessary data to address disparities.

Methods

The research team collaborated with local organizations to recruit 30 individuals (Haitians/Haitian Americans) between February 4 and October 1, 2021, and conducted semi-structured interviews. All interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed, and NVivo® was used to analyze the transcripts for emergent themes.

Results

The study sample comprised 30 adults of Haitian descent in Miami, FL (50% female, approximately 67% with a high school education or more, mean age = 43.7 ± 13 years, and 74.2% born in Haiti). Four primary themes emerged from the analysis: (1) limited PrEP awareness, (2) underutilization of PrEP, (3) inadequate discussion of HIV prevention strategies, and (4) PrEP delivery encompassing barriers and facilitators for PrEP delivery and promotion strategies.

Conclusion

This study indicated that there is a critical need to increase Haitians/Haitian Americans’ knowledge regarding PrEP. Health communication interventions tailored specifically for Haitians/Haitian Americans that target stigma, attitudes toward HIV, and risk perception may be significant in increasing PrEP in this population.

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Acknowledgements

The team would like to thank all the participants of the study who have made these research findings possible. We would also like to thank our community partners, the Community Health and Empowerment Network and the Family Action Network Movement, as well as their staff, for supporting this project. In addition, we would like to thank Blonsky Batalien for his role in data collection. We would also like to thank April Mann and the University of Miami Writing Center for the editorial support. Furthermore, we would like to thank the study funders.

Funding

This research is supported by the University of Miami’s Center for HIV and Research in Mental Health (CHARM; P30MH116867 (Developmental-AIDS Research Center), P30MH133399 (AIDS Research Center) [National Institute of Mental Health]). Dr. Sternberg was additionally funded by the Miami Center for AIDS Research (CFAR) at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine (P30AI073961, National Institutes of Health) and the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities, award number P50MD017347-02S1. Dr. Dale was also supported by R56MH121194 and R01MH121194 from the National Institute of Mental Health. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Medicine, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA

    Candice A. Sternberg, Krisna Maddy, Danelle Richard, Tanya Thomas, Jovanka Ravix, Joshua Warner, Susanne Doblecki-Lewis & Maria L. Alcaide

  2. Division of Infectious Disease, Department of Medicine, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, 1120 NW 14th Street #858, Miami, FL, 33136, USA

    Candice A. Sternberg

  3. Department of Psychology, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL, USA

    E. Valerie Daniel & Sannisha K. Dale

  4. Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Miami, Miami, FL, USA

    Dora Marcelin & Maria L. Alcaide

  5. Department of Public Health Sciences, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA

    Maurice Junior Chery, Daniel J. Feaster & Maria L. Alcaide

  6. Community Health and Empowerment Network, Miami, FL, USA

    Micaelle Titus

  7. Family Action Network Movement, Miami, FL, USA

    Aline Francois

  8. Miami Veteran’s Affairs Medical Center, Miami, FL, USA

    Joseph Borick

  9. Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA

    Deborah L. Jones

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  1. Candice A. Sternberg
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  2. E. Valerie Daniel
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Contributions

All authors contributed to the study. The first draft of the manuscript was written by CAS, EVD, DM, MC, and KM, and all authors commented on previous versions of the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Candice A. Sternberg.

Ethics declarations

Ethics Approval

The University of Miami Institutional Review Board approved this study.

Consent to Participate

All study participants gave verbal consent to participate.

Consent for Publication

N/A

Competing Interests

Unrelated to data in this manuscript, Dr. Dale is a co-investigator on a Merck & Co. funded project on “A Qualitative Study to Explore Biomedical HIV Prevention Preferences, Challenges and Facilitators among Diverse At-Risk Women Living in the United States” and has served as a workgroup consultant on engaging people living with HIV for Gilead Sciences, Inc. All other authors declare no competing interests.

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Sternberg, C.A., Daniel, E.V., Marcelin, D. et al. Bon Sante (Good Health): Factors Influencing PrEP Use Among Haitians/Haitian Americans. J. Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40615-023-01834-9

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