Community Belonging and Attitudes Towards HIV Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) Among Transgender Women.
Paul A D'Avanzo, Sarah Bauerle Bass, Patrick J Kelly, Jesse Brajuha, Luis Gutierrez-Mock, Jae Sevelius
Author Information
Paul A D'Avanzo: Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Temple University College of Public Health, Philadelphia, PA, USA. paul.davanzo@temple.edu. ORCID
Sarah Bauerle Bass: Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Temple University College of Public Health, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
Patrick J Kelly: Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Temple University College of Public Health, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
Jesse Brajuha: Risk Communication Laboratory, Temple University College of Public Health, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
Luis Gutierrez-Mock: Center of Excellence for Transgender Health, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.
Jae Sevelius: Center of Excellence for Transgender Health, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.
For transgender (trans) women, community belonging may play an important role in shaping perceptions of HIV Pre-exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP). A cluster analysis was performed using data obtained from a survey administered to 128 trans women residing in Philadelphia, PA and the San Francisco Bay area, CA. Six items assessing feelings of community belongingness among trans women produced three distinct clusters. Associations were examined between cluster membership and perceptual items including beliefs about PrEP, experiences with healthcare, patient self-advocacy, and perceived trusted sources for PrEP information. Clusters were demographically comparable apart from age. There were significant differences noted between trust in various communication channels and perceptions of PrEP; the least community-connected cluster had less trust and more negative perceptions of PrEP. Analyses suggest that psychographic differences exist based on perceived community belongingness in this population, and this in turn may be consequential in determining how information about PrEP is communicated and diffused to trans women for whom PrEP may be indicated.
