Funder: National Institute of Mental Health
Project period: 02/15/2022 - 02/14/2023
Grant Type: Research
Abstract Text:
A collaborative team from the Yale University's Center for Interdisciplinary Research on AIDS and University of Puerto Rico faculty will conduct a survey study to explore knowledge, attitudes, opinions, and practices related to the Undetectable=Untransmissible (U=U) message among people living with HIV (PLHIV), healthcare and service providers, and other key stakeholders in San Juan and other municipalities in Puerto Rico. It will also identify the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on HIV care.
The project team will:
- Engage key stakeholders to assess the feasibility of the survey-based study,
- Conduct surveys with 200 PLHIV and 50 HIV service providers in San Juan,
- Convene meetings with stakeholder groups and stakeholder to discuss survey results; identify gaps in services, communication needs, perceptions and misconceptions in the context of the COVID-19 epidemic; explore stakeholders’ views on developing an intervention study to increase awareness and understanding of the U=U message and incorporate the U=U message in health education materials and practice,
- Identify implementation strategies for U=U message and evaluate a skill building intervention to build capacity and readiness to integrate these messages into practice to be evaluated in future studies.
The project will yield:
- A survey instrument to assess U=U message awareness, knowledge, and skills among PLHIV, providers, and other key stakeholders
- Time-sensitive information about the relevance of the U=U message as an HIV prevention strategy, including in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic
- Data on the feasibility and acceptability of U=U message among PLHIV, providers, and other key stakeholders
- Preliminary data to help develop a skill building intervention to facilitate the dissemination of U=U message in the community.
