Retention in PrEP Care for African American MSM in Mississippi

Innovative and novel HIV prevention interventions are urgently needed for African American (AA) young men who have sex with men (YMSM) in the South, and in Mississippi in particular. HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is a newer HIV prevention strategy that consists of a daily oral antiretroviral pill taken on an ongoing basis by HIV-uninfected but at-risk individuals. Although acceptability studies have demonstrated high interested in PrEP in the US, uptake remains limited. To date, studies of PrEP initiation have largely been limited to settings in which PrEP is provided free of charge. Barriers to PrEP initiation and retention in PrEP care in real world settings are likely more complex, since payment for PrEP can be a substantial financial burden. The ADAPT\_ITT approach (an approach to adapting behavioral interventions to new populations: Assessment, Decision, Administration, Production, Topical Experts - Integration, Training, Testing) will be used to develop and pilot test a RAMP (Retain African American Men in PrEP) intervention that aims to promote PrEP adherence and retention in care in Jackson, MS and focuses on recruiting AA YMSM in a city with some of the highest HIV infection rates in the country. This study will include formative research to understand the cultural and social contexts that influence AA YMSM's PrEP use patterns and the acceptability of our proposed intervention. Results from these qualitative interviews will inform the study intervention which will be tested and refined in a dynamic open pilot evaluation.