Transgender Men's Perspectives on HIV Risk and HIV Prevention Interventions

November 7, 2023 updated by: Ricky Hill, Northwestern University

Transgender Men's Perspectives on HIV Risk and HIV Prevention

The goal of this pilot study is to gather and analyze qualitative data from focus groups with Transgender men who have sex with men (TMSM) to learn more about the life experiences unique to TMSM that influence their attitudes and beliefs about HIV risk, as well as to better understand the intersections of these specific sexual and gender identities.

Study Overview

Status

Completed

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Detailed Description

Men who have sex with men (MSM) are disproportionately impacted by HIV in the United States. While most new HIV infections are assumed to occur between cisgender men who have sex with other cisgender men, an increasing body of literature proposes that transgender men and transmasculine people who have sex with cisgender men (TMSM) might be at elevated risk for HIV infection. Despite data suggesting that transgender men and cisgender men are regularly engaging in sexual relationships, the majority of research on HIV among MSM focuses almost exclusively on sexual partnerships between cisgender gay and bisexual men. Additionally, when HIV prevention research does include transgender people, it almost exclusively focuses on HIV risk within transgender women and transfeminine people. TMSM are rarely mentioned as potential sexual partners for cisgender men and have historically been left out of most research on HIV prevention and in preventive intervention development. The goal of this pilot study is to gather and analyze qualitative data from focus groups with TMSM to learn more about the life experiences unique to TMSM influence their attitudes and beliefs about HIV risk, as well as to better understand the intersections of these specific sexual and gender identities. The investigators will enroll 30 TMSM in 5 focus groups where they will examine the unique contexts in which risk for HIV acquisition occurs for TMSM, and explore participant preferences for HIV prevention services. Focus group questions will focus on five areas: 1) Gathering information related to partner selection and sorting among TMSM; 2) assessing TMSM's perceptions of HIV risk in their lived experiences; 3) exploring the various types of sexual behavior TMSM are engaging in; 4) understanding the various HIV prevention strategies currently being deployed by TMSM; and 5) examine the preferences TMSM have for receiving information related to sexual health and HIV prevention information. Focus group guide content areas may be updated in subsequent groups to reflect additional topics that may emerge from conversations in prior focus groups. Data from the groups will be analyzed by the investigator and study team using an iterative, thematic process. These themes will be synthesized in the development of culturally relevant HIV prevention interventions for TMSM.

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

38

Phase

  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

  • United States
    • Illinois
      • Chicago, Illinois, United States, 60611
        • Institute for Sexual and Gender Minority Health and Wellbeing

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study

18 years and older (Adult, Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • 18+; living in the United States;
  • Assigned female at birth;
  • Current gender identity of trans man or transmasculine;
  • Sexual orientation of NOT heterosexual;
  • Has access to the Internet.

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Under 18;
  • Living outside of the US;
  • Assigned male at birth;
  • Current gender identity OUTSIDE of transgender man or transmasculine person;
  • Heterosexual/straight;
  • Does not have access to the Internet.

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Prevention
  • Allocation: N/A
  • Interventional Model: Single Group Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Other: Focus Groups
Focus groups will occur during the course of the study period.
Behavioral: Transgender men's perspectives on HIV risk and HIV prevention interventions
Investigators will enroll 30 TMSM in 5 focus groups where they will examine the unique contexts in which risk for HIV acquisition occurs for TMSM, and explore participant preferences for HIV prevention services. Focus group questions will focus on five areas: 1) Gathering information related to partner selection and sorting among TMSM; 2) assessing TMSM's perceptions of HIV risk in their lived experiences; 3) exploring the various types of sexual behavior TMSM are engaging in; 4) understanding the various HIV prevention strategies currently being deployed by TMSM; and 5) examine the preferences TMSM have for receiving information related to sexual health and HIV prevention information.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Post-hoc thematic analysis across five domains
Time Frame: up to 9 months

Post-focus group thematic analysis of attitudes and preferences of HIV prevention messaging and strategies for transgender men and transmasculine people in five separate domains:

  1. Partner selection and sorting among trans men who have sex with cis men (TMSM);
  2. TMSM's perceptions of HIV risk in their lived experiences;
  3. Exploring the various types of sexual behavior TMSM are engaging in;
  4. Understanding HIV prevention strategies currently used by TMSM; and
  5. Examine the preferences TMSM have for receiving information related to sexual health and HIV prevention.
up to 9 months

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Northwestern University

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

November 1, 2022

Primary Completion (Actual)

January 30, 2023

Study Completion (Actual)

August 30, 2023

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

November 21, 2022

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

December 16, 2022

First Posted (Actual)

December 27, 2022

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

November 9, 2023

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

November 7, 2023

Last Verified

November 1, 2023

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • STU00217158

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

UNDECIDED

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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