A Qualitative Study Exploring How the Perspectives and Experiences of Cisgender Black Women Inform Their Readiness to Consider Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis for HIV Prevention

Mandy J. Hill, Amber I. Sophus (), Aaliyah Gray and Jaylen I. Wright
Additional contact information
Mandy J. Hill: Department of Population Health and Health Disparities, School of Public and Population Health, University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston (UTMB), Galveston, TX 77555, USA
Amber I. Sophus: Department of Health Promotion and Disease Prevention, Robert Stempel College of Public Health & Social Work, Florida International University, Miami, FL 33199, USA
Aaliyah Gray: Center for Women’s and Gender Studies, College of Arts, Science and Education, Florida International University, Miami, FL 33199, USA
Jaylen I. Wright: American Heart Association, Dallas, TX 75321, USA

IJERPH, 2025, vol. 22, issue 4, 1-38

Abstract: Attention to increasing pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) use among cisgender Black women (CBW) in the southern United States (U.S.) is necessary to achieve national 2030 Ending the HIV Epidemic (EHE) goals. Qualitative exploration of CBW’s readiness to use PrEP is necessary to discern whether practical solutions to addressing PrEP uptake within this HIV-vulnerable population are feasible. Focus group discussions (n = 5) and key informant interviews (n = 3) in two EHE jurisdictions in Houston and Austin, Texas were used to explore how perspectives and lived experiences may serve as facilitators and/or barriers to PrEP readiness among 20 CBW. Codes highlighted facilitators and barriers to PrEP readiness. Facilitators involved positive experiences with the healthcare system, high perceived HIV vulnerability, and prioritizing PrEP as self-care. Barriers encompassed concerns with sexual relationship dynamics, mental health implications, and access to humane treatment within the healthcare system. High perceived vulnerability of HIV acquisition is related to an awareness that CBW may not know the entirety of their partner’s sexual activities. Findings indicate precursors of PrEP readiness and challenge the notion that CBW have low perceived vulnerability of acquiring HIV.

Keywords: pre-exposure prophylaxis; PrEP; HIV; readiness; perceived risk; facilitators; barriers; healthcare system; women’s health (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/22/4/558/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/22/4/558/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:22:y:2025:i:4:p:558-:d:1627569

Access Statistics for this article

IJERPH is currently edited by Ms. Jenna Liu

More articles in IJERPH from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().