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Social-Environmental Resilience, PrEP Uptake, and Viral Suppression among Young Black Men Who Have Sex with Men and Young Black Transgender Women: the Neighborhoods and Networks (N2) Study in Chicago

Journal of Urban Health volume 97, pages 728–738 (2020)Cite this article

Abstract

Young black men who have sex with men (YBMSM) and young black transgender women (TGW) have experienced a stark disparity in HIV prevention and care. Resilience, collective resources to adapt stressors or adversities, may improve HIV prevention and care outcomes. The present study investigated the association of resilience-based factors with PrEP uptake and viral suppression from a socioecological perspective among YBMSM and young black TGW. Data were from the baseline cycle of the Neighborhoods and Networks (N2) Study, an ongoing cohort study of 16–34-year-old YBMSM and young black TGW in Chicago (n = 324). Confidant network-level and neighborhood affiliation variables were created to measure the social-environmental context of resilience. All analyses were stratified by participants’ HIV status (184 HIV-negative participants and 140 HIV-positive participants). Among HIV-negative participants, having a parental figure within an individual’s confidant network was significantly associated with a greater likelihood of PrEP use. Among HIV-positive participants, confidant network members’ awareness of an individual’s HIV status was associated with viral suppression. Social support resources from confidant networks could improve HIV prevention and care engagement among YBMSM and young black TGW. Understanding the social and environmental contexts of resilience resource is critical for HIV prevention and care engagement.

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Acknowledgments

The Neighborhoods and Networks (N2) Cohort Study is funded through a grant from the National Institute on Mental Health (Grant Number: R01MH112406) and a cooperative agreement with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention under the Minority HIV/AIDS Research Initiative (Grant Number: U01PS005122). Mr. Goedel is supported by the Brown University Clinical and Community-Based HIV/AIDS Research Training Fellowship, funded by the National Institute of Mental Health (Grant Number: R25MH083620). We thank the participants for engaging in this research.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Chicago Center for HIV Elimination, Chicago, IL, USA

    Yen-Tyng Chen, Rodal Issema, Rebecca Eavou, John Schneider & Anna Hotton

  2. Department of Medicine, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA

    Yen-Tyng Chen, Rodal Issema, Rebecca Eavou, John Schneider & Anna Hotton

  3. NYU Spatial Epidemiology Lab, Department of Population Health, NYU School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA

    Dustin T. Duncan, William C. Goedel & Denton Callander

  4. Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA

    William C. Goedel

  5. Survey Lab, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA

    Benjamin Bernard-Herman & Hillary Hanson

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  1. Yen-Tyng Chen
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Chen, YT., Duncan, D.T., Issema, R. et al. Social-Environmental Resilience, PrEP Uptake, and Viral Suppression among Young Black Men Who Have Sex with Men and Young Black Transgender Women: the Neighborhoods and Networks (N2) Study in Chicago. J Urban Health 97, 728–738 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11524-020-00425-x

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Keywords

  • Men who have sex with men
  • Transgender women
  • Resilience
  • Social networks
  • Neighborhoods