Developing a Mobile Application for Optimizing HIV Care and Treatment and Healthy Aging Outcomes in Older Men of Color Living with HIV
Abstract
The population of HIV+ individuals achieving viral suppression on combination antiretroviral therapy (cART) is growing, aging, and experiencing a widening spectrum of diseases and conditions that compromise optimal health. Research on aging with HIV is not well characterized and is especially lacking for older HIV+ racial/ethnic and sexual minorities who face particular social and structural barriers to healthy aging. Mobile technology is a tremendously promising tool for integrating access to care and social support that transcends social and structural barriers. Preliminary findings from my pilot study with racial/ethnic minority men who have sex with men (MSM) living and aging with HIV show that mobile phone use is ubiquitous and is an acceptable platform for intervention. The overall goal of this study is to develop mHealth intervention features that address psychosocial, clinical, and structural barriers to healthy aging among older HIV+ MSM of color.