PrEP Awareness in the Context of HIV/AIDS Conspiracy Beliefs Among Black/African American and Hispanic/Latino MSM in Three Urban US Cities

J Homosex. 2020 May 11;67(6):833-843. doi: 10.1080/00918369.2018.1557953. Epub 2019 Jan 11.

Abstract

We examined HIV conspiracy beliefs and PrEP awareness in a convenience sample of minority MSM. Participants in three cities completed a behavioral self-assessment on sociodemographics, PrEP awareness, and HIV/AIDS conspiracy beliefs. HIV/AIDS conspiracy beliefs were more common among Black than Latino MSM (58% vs. 42%, p < .05), and among younger men than older men (age 18-29 (50%), 30-39 (22%), 40+ (28%); p < .05). PrEP awareness co-occurred with conspiracy belief less (37%) than with non-belief (63%, p < .05), persisting in multivariable regression (aOR = 0.52, 95% CI = 0.38-0.71). This relationship suggests that current HIV care and prevention messaging is either inaccessible or not credible to some minority subpopulations.

Keywords: HIV; MSM; Minority; PrEP; conspiracy; medical mistrust; pre-exposure prophylaxis.

MeSH terms

  • Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome
  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Black or African American / psychology*
  • Cities
  • Culture
  • HIV Infections / prevention & control*
  • HIV Infections / psychology
  • Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice
  • Hispanic or Latino / psychology*
  • Homosexuality, Male
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Patient Acceptance of Health Care / psychology*
  • Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis*
  • Sexual and Gender Minorities / psychology*
  • Young Adult