IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jijerp/v22y2025i4p558-d1627569.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

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

Author

Listed:
  • 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)

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.

Suggested Citation

  • Mandy J. Hill & Amber I. Sophus & Aaliyah Gray & Jaylen I. Wright, 2025. "A Qualitative Study Exploring How the Perspectives and Experiences of Cisgender Black Women Inform Their Readiness to Consider Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis for HIV Prevention," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 22(4), pages 1-38, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:22:y:2025:i:4:p:558-:d:1627569
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/22/4/558/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/22/4/558/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:22:y:2025:i:4:p:558-:d:1627569. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    We have no bibliographic references for this item. You can help adding them by using this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.