Community and Systems-level HIV Prevention in Peru

Mpowerment (MP) is an evidence-based community-level, structural, social and behavioral intervention for HIV prevention for young men who have sex with men (MSM). MP targets individual and community empowerment and community mobilization, self-affirmation, sexual self-knowledge and creation of a supportive and affirming social environment. MP has been widely used in the U.S. but not in Peru, with the exception of earlier pilot research. In the earlier research, MP was adapted for the sociocultural issues facing MSM and transgender (trans) women in Peru, and only focused risk reduction and increasing HIV testing. In addition to the MP (which is called the community-based intervention), a health systems component has been added. The health systems includes (1) sensitization of hospital staff (where people living with HIV obtain their medication) to the issues facing transgender women and MSM; (2) the use of Navigators, who help MSM and trans women at the hospital navigate the system of care and remain in care; and (3) a focus on "positive prevention", in which providers talk about the positive aspects of maintaining in care and being virally suppressed instead of only talking about "avoiding death." There is a 2.5 year implementation of the intervention, called "Projecto Orgullo Plus" or Project Pride Plus, which involves a longitudinal cohort of MSM/trans in two large districts of Lima, Peru. Primary outcomes will be unprotected anal sex and HIV testing. Secondary outcomes will be self-reported visits to hospital for care and adherence to medications.