背景:艾滋病毒自我检测(HIVST)提供了一种创新和有前途的方法来增加美国黑人男性的艾滋病毒检测,受艾滋病毒影响特别严重的人群。然而,由于耻辱,让黑人参与传统的艾滋病毒预防计划一直具有挑战性,医学上的不信任,以及获得预防性卫生服务的机会有限。这项形成性定性研究旨在探索利用理发店作为非传统医疗保健场所推广和分发HIVST的潜力。
方法:北卡罗来纳州的19名参与者与黑人进行了四次虚拟焦点小组讨论(FGD),包括理发店的企业主,理发师,和他们的客户,评估对HIVST的看法以及与理发店企业合作推广HIVST的可接受性。FGD是数字记录的,转录,并采用演绎编码的方法进行专题分析。
结果:参与者报告说,理发师和他们的顾客之间的信任关系,黑人和医疗保健提供者之间可能不存在,是与理发店企业合作接触黑人进行HIVST分发的促进者。与会者建议为理发师提供有关HIVST使用的教育,以及如何告知自我测试人员有关HIVST之后与护理的联系,以建立理发师在提供干预方面的信誉。与会者还提出了理发店顾客使用HIVST的成本问题,认为这是实施的潜在障碍,以及这种干预措施的实施可能被视为在理发店营业场所不合时宜。与会者还表示坚信,对理发店及其雇员的补偿应伴随任何干预。
结论:这些发现表明,理发店的商业场所可能为HIVST的推广和分发提供适当的场所,尽管成本等因素,培训,在实施规划中,有必要考虑对实施者的激励。此外,公共卫生行为者和商界之间的伙伴关系必须建立在公平参与的基础上,以确保这些关键举措的长期可行性。
BACKGROUND: HIV self-testing (HIVST) offers an innovative and promising approach to increasing HIV testing among Black men in the United States, a population disproportionately affected by HIV. However, engaging Black men in traditional HIV prevention programs has been challenging due to stigma, medical mistrust, and limited access to preventive health services. This formative qualitative study aimed to explore the potential of utilizing barbershops as an example of a nontraditional healthcare venue to promote and distribute HIVST.
METHODS: Four virtual focus group discussions (FGDs) consisting of 19 participants in North Carolina were conducted with Black men, including barbershop business owners, barbers, and their customers, to assess perceptions of HIVST and the acceptability of partnering with barbershop businesses to promote HIVST. FGDs were digitally recorded, transcribed, and analyzed using a deductive coding approach to thematic analysis.
RESULTS: Participants reported that the trusting relationship between barbers and their customers, which may not exist between Black men and health care providers, is a facilitator of collaborating with barbershop businesses to reach Black men for HIVST distribution. Participants recommended providing education for barbers on the use of HIVST, as well as how to inform self-testers about linkage to care following HIVST to build the credibility of the barbers in delivering the intervention. Participants also raised the issue of the cost of HIVST to barbershop customers as a potential barrier to implementation, as well as the possibility that the implementation of such interventions could be seen as out of place in a barbershop business venue. Participants also expressed a strong belief that compensation to barbershops and their employees should accompany any intervention.
CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that barbershop business venues may provide an appropriate venue for HIVST promotion and distribution, though factors like cost, training, and incentivization of implementers are necessary to consider in implementation planning. Furthermore, partnerships between public health actors and the business community must be built on equitable engagement to ensure the long-term viability of these critical initiatives.