Likely Use of PrEP for African American YMSM

This study will use an exploratory, naturalistic qualitative design where participants will be interviewed to collect data on their emotional and cognitive processes (illness representation) in response to the threat of a potential HIV infection, and what factors (social, cultural, individual characteristics, and experiences in health care) influence their likely use of PrEP. The sample for this study will include 20 to 30 African American YMSM, aged 16-24, residing in Durham, Wake, and Orange counties of North Carolina.

The in-depth interview guide and the 26-item descriptive survey PrEP Knowledge, Sexual History, and Demographic Instrument were developed for this study using a combination of the concepts from the adapted Common Sense Model of Illness Representation (CSM) and questions adapted from the Adolescent Trial Network's (ATN) 082 study's questionnaire. Participants will be asked questions relating to African American YMSM's likely use of HIV Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) as an HIV risk-reduction strategy. Once informed consent is obtained, the interview will commence and study participants will be individually interviewed to discuss what factors influence their likely use of PrEP. Each participant will complete the descriptive survey and the one-on-one interview.