%0 Journal Article
%T Using GPS-defined venue-based affiliation networks among Black sexually minoritized men and transgender women to identify locations for HIV prevention interventions.
%A Chen YT
%A Shrader CH
%A Duncan DT
%A Rudolph AE
%A Regan SD
%A Kim B
%A Pagkas-Bather J
%A Knox J
%A Fujimoto K
%A Schneider JA
%J Ann Epidemiol
%V 96
%N 0
%D 2024 Aug 4
%M 38971348
%F 6.996
%R 10.1016/j.annepidem.2024.07.001
%X <B>OBJECTIVE: </B>HIV biomedical intervention uptake is suboptimal among Black sexually minoritized men (SMM) and transgender women (TW). Venues where people meet and interact shape HIV-related risk and prevention behaviors. We aimed to construct GPS-defined venue-based affiliation networks and identify the unique set of venues that could maximize reach of HIV biomedical interventions among Black SMM and TW.<BR><B>METHODS: </B>We used baseline survey and GPS data from 272 Black SMM and TW in the Neighborhoods and Networks (N2) Cohort Study in Chicago, Illinois (2018-2019). We mapped participants' GPS data to the nearest pre-identified SMM- and TW-friendly venue (n = 222) to construct affiliation networks. Network analyses were performed to identify influential venues that can yield high reach to intervention candidates.<BR><B>RESULTS: </B>Participants were affiliated with 75.5 % of all pre-identified venues based on GPS data. Two influential venues were identified in the non-PrEP use network, which when combined, could reach 52.5 % of participants not taking PrEP. Participants that could be reached through these two influential venues reported more non-main sex partners than participants not affiliated with either venue (p = 0.049).<BR><B>CONCLUSIONS: </B>We demonstrate a potential for GPS-defined venue-based affiliation networks to identify unique combinations of venues that could maximize the impact of HIV prevention interventions.