Epidemiologist Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Abstract Title
Use of HIV Prevention Strategies Reported by Black Women at Risk for and with HIV in the United States
Abstract Authors
Toria Reaves, Rashunda Lewis, Sharoda Dasgupta, Shacara Johnson Lyons, Yunfeng Tie, Tamara Carree, Jerris L. Raiford, Ruthanne Marcus
Author Affiliations
Division of HIV Prevention, National Center for HIV, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA ICF, Atlanta, GA.
Background
Black/African American women are disproportionately affected by HIV. Understanding HIV prevention strategies used by Black women, including those with an increased risk of acquiring HIV and those with HIV, could help tailor status-neutral interventions designed to end the HIV epidemic. We analyzed data from two of the CDC's national HIV surveillance systems to examine HIV prevention strategies used by Black women with an increased risk of acquiring HIV and those with HIV.
Methods
Using 2018-2020 data on sexually active (defined as having anal or vaginal sex during the past 12 months) Black women with diagnosed HIV from the Medical Monitoring Project (MMP; N=967) and 2019 data on sexually active Black women without HIV from the National HIV Behavioral Surveillance (NHBS; N=4,033), we reported percentages of people who used various HIV prevention strategies.
Results
Among Black women with HIV, 58% had condom-protected sex, 56% reported having sex while having sustained viral suppression, 3% had condomless sex with a partner on pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), and 24% had sex with a partner with HIV. Approximately 12% engaged in sex without using any HIV prevention strategy. Among Black women without HIV, 39% were aware of PrEP; of these, 7% discussed PrEP with a healthcare provider, and 1% used PrEP in the past 12 months. Approximately 17% used a condom with their last sex partner, and 36% reported their last sex partner that did not have HIV.
Conclusion(s)
Although many sexually active Black women with an increased risk of acquiring HIV and with HIV reported using HIV prevention strategies, there is room for improvement. Over 1 in 10 Black women with HIV reported not using any HIV prevention strategy, and >60% of Black women without HIV were not aware of PrEP. Continued and tailored efforts to increase the use of status-neutral HIV prevention strategies are essential for reaching goals related to ending the HIV epidemic in the US.