Associations of past-year stigma and psychosocial syndemic conditions: Considerations for intersectional stigma measures among Black Sexual Minority Men.

This secondary analysis of a mixed serostatus sample of Black sexual minority men (BSMM) used conditional inference tree methods to explore associations of past-year experienced stigma and psychosocial syndemic conditions. Experienced stigmas were attributed to race, sexuality, socioeconomic status, HIV status or some "other" reason. Psychosocial syndemic conditions studied included physical assault, intimate partner violence, polysubstance use, and depression symptomology.

Intensivist physician-to-patient ratios and mortality in the intensive care unit.

Purpose: A high daily census may hinder the ability of physicians to deliver quality care in the intensive care unit (ICU). We sought to determine the relationship between intensivist-to-patient ratios and mortality among ICU patients.

Methods: We performed a retrospective cohort study of intensivist-to-patient ratios in 29 ICUs in 10 hospitals in the United States from 2018 to 2020.

The political polarization of COVID-19 treatments among physicians and laypeople in the United States.

In the United States, liberals and conservatives disagree about facts. To what extent does expertise attenuate these disagreements? To study this question, we compare the polarization of beliefs about COVID-19 treatments among laypeople and critical care physicians. We find that political ideology predicts both groups' beliefs about a range of COVID-19 treatments.

Characterizing intensive care unit rounding teams using meta-data from the electronic health record.

Purpose: Teamwork is an important determinant of outcomes in the intensive care unit (ICU), yet the nature of individual ICU teams remains poorly understood. We examined whether meta-data in the form of digital signatures in the electronic health record (EHR) could be used to identify and characterize ICU teams.

Methods: We analyzed EHR data from 27 ICUs over one year.

Intersectional Experienced Stigma and Psychosocial Syndemic Conditions in a Sample of Black Men Who Have Sex with Men Engaged in Sex Work (BMSM-SW) from Six US Cities.

Black men who have sex with men (BMSM) in the United States experience a disproportionate burden of violence, substance use, physical and mental health conditions relative to other racial groups. BMSM who engage in sex work (BMSM-SW) experience a high burden of psychosocial conditions, sexually transmitted infections, including HIV, and intersectional stigma. This analysis characterizes remuneration and client typologies for BMSM-SW, documents intersectional stigma experienced by BMSM-SW relative to other BMSM, and explores the impact of experienced intersectional stigma on the relationship between sex work engagement and psychosocial syndemic conditions (violence, polydrug use, and depression symptoms).

Willingness to Treat with Therapies of Unknown Effectiveness in Severe COVID-19: A Survey of Intensivist Physicians.

Little is known about how physicians develop their beliefs about new treatments or update their beliefs in the face of new clinical evidence. These issues are particularly salient in the context of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, which created rapid demand for novel therapies in the absence of robust evidence. To identify psychological traits associated with physicians' willingness to treat with unproven therapies and willingness to update their treatment preferences in the setting of new evidence in the context of COVID-19.

Characterizing Biomedical HIV Prevention Awareness and Use Among Black Transgender Women in the United States.

Black transgender women (BTW) in the United States experience disproportionate rates of HIV despite biomedical prevention interventions such as pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and non-occupational post-exposure prophylaxis (nPEP). Using a sample of 490 BTW collected from 2014 to 2017, bivariate, multivariable, and multinomial analyses were conducted to determine factors associated with awareness and use of PrEP and nPEP. BTW living with HIV were more aware of PrEP than HIV-negative BTW.

Syndemic Health Disparities and Sexually Transmitted Infection Burden Among Black Men Who Have Sex with Men Engaged in Sex Work in the U.S.

Black men who have sex with men (MSM) engaged in sex work (BMSM-SW) experience elevated HIV and sexually transmitted infection (STI) prevalence. Further, BMSM-SW have been shown to have higher rates of syndemic psychosocial health conditions which contribute to HIV risk behavior and incidence, and poorer care outcomes than other groups of men who have sex with men. However, syndemic perspectives have not been applied to understanding past-year STI burden among BMSM-SW in the U.

Barriers and facilitators to past six-month HIV testing among men who have sex with men in Belize.

Prevalence of HIV in Belize is high, and men who have sex with men (MSM) are disproportionately impacted by HIV. HIV testing is critical in curbing the epidemic; however, little is known about factors associated with testing among MSM in Belize. Working with a non-governmental organization in a large, urban city within Belize, snowball sampling was applied to recruit Belizean MSM to complete a self-administered survey.

Injection drug use, unknown HIV positive status, and self-reported current PrEP use among Black men who have sex with men attending U.S. Black pride events, 2014-2017.

Objective: Black gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (BMSM) are at elevated risk for HIV infection in the United States. BMSM who inject drugs may be face even higher HIV risk.

Methods: Random time-location sampling was used to survey BMSM attending Black Pride events in 6 U.

Understanding the impact of a syndemic on the use of pre-exposure prophylaxis in a community-based sample of behaviorally PrEP-eligible BMSM in the United States.

HIV Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) has shown great promise in reducing HIV transmission among affected populations; however, PrEP uptake among Black men who have sex with men (BMSM) has stalled. This study compares BMSM using PrEP and BMSM at risk for HIV not using PrEP based on differences in behavior, psychosocial conditions and the presence of a syndemic ( = 1,411). BMSM reporting PrEP use were significantly more likely to report three of five HIV risk behaviors and three of four psychosocial conditions.

HIV Testing and ART Adherence Among Unstably Housed Black Men Who Have Sex with Men in the United States.

Black men who have sex with men (BMSM) have the highest HIV incidence rate among all MSM in the United States (US), and are also disproportionately affected by homelessness and housing instability. However, little is known about the effects of homelessness on the HIV testing and care continuum for BMSM. Between 2014 and 2017, the Promoting Our Worth, Equality, and Resilience (POWER) study collected data and offered HIV testing to 4184 BMSM at Black Pride events in six US cities.

Black Men Who Have Sex with Men and Lifetime HIV Testing: Characterizing the Reasons and Consequences of Having Never Tested for HIV.

HIV testing remains a critical point of entry to HIV treatment services and now biomedical prevention as well. Yet despite the high HIV prevalence among Black men who have sex with men (MSM), insufficient attention has been given to factors associated with those Black MSM in the United States who have never received an HIV test in their lifetime. Promoting Our Worth, Equality, & Resilience (POWER) is a cross-sectional observational study that recruited Black MSM at Black Pride events across six cities in the United States from 2014 to 2017.

Intimate Partner Violence and Depression among Black Transgender Women in the USA: The Potential Suppressive Effect of Perceived Social Support.

Depression among Black transgender women (BTW) in the USA is an often understudied mental health concern with far-reaching consequences for overall physical and mental health at both the individual and community levels. Intimate partner violence (IPV) among BTW is also a frequently understudied and important social determinant of health in need of further exploration. This study sought to address the gap in research on the relationship between IPV and depression among BTW using a time- and location-based community sample of BTW from six US cities.

Examining the Impact of a Psychosocial Syndemic on Past Six-Month HIV Screening Behavior of Black Men who have Sex with Men in the United States: Results from the POWER Study.

Syndemic production theory has been used to explore HIV transmission risk or infections but has not been used to investigate prevention behavior, or with large samples of non-Whites. This analysis is the first to explore the impact of syndemic factors on previous six-month HIV screening behavior among US Black MSM. Data from Promoting Our Worth, Equality and Resilience (POWER) were analyzed from 3294 participants using syndemic variable counts and measures of interaction/synergy.

Prevalence and Correlates of PrEP Awareness and Use Among Black Men Who Have Sex with Men and Women (MSMW) in the United States.

Men who have sex with men and women (MSMW), including those who are Black, experience HIV-related disparities compared to men who have sex with men only (MSMO). Few studies have assessed the prevalence and correlates of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) awareness and use among Black MSMW. We recruited MSM ≥ 18 attending Black Gay Pride events between 2014-2017.

Characterizing the HIV care continuum among a community sample of black men who have sex with men in the United States.

Black men who have sex with men (BMSM) have the highest HIV incidence rates among all men who have sex with men (MSM) and have been less likely than other MSM to be diagnosed, linked or retained in care for HIV. The Promoting Our Worth, Equality, and Resilience (POWER) study administered a behavioral health survey and HIV test to BMSM to estimate the HIV continuum of care among a community-derived sample. Of the N = 1,680 BMSM living with HIV, n = 956 (56.

Characterizing the HIV Care Continuum and Identifying Barriers and Facilitators to HIV Diagnosis and Viral Suppression Among Black Transgender Women in the United States.

Background: Although black transgender women (BTW) experience high prevalence of HIV in the United States, no characterization of the HIV care continuum exists for this population. This study addresses this gap by (1) characterizing the HIV care continuum, and (2) exploring correlates of HIV diagnosis and viral suppression among a community-based sample of BTW.

Methods: Data came from Promoting Our Worth, Equality, and Resilience (POWER).

Elevated HIV Prevalence and Correlates of PrEP Use Among a Community Sample of Black Men Who Have Sex With Men.

Background: The HIV epidemic among black men who have sex with men (BMSM) demands urgent public health attention. Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is a highly efficacious option for preventing HIV, but characteristics of PrEP use among community samples of BMSM are not well-understood.

Methods: A serial cross-sectional survey assessment (N = 4184 BMSM reporting HIV-negative/unsure status) and HIV testing were conducted at Black Gay Pride events in 6 US cities in 2014, 2015, 2016, and 2017.

HIV Care Continuum Disparities Among Black Bisexual Men and the Mediating Effect of Psychosocial Comorbidities.

Introduction: Differences across the HIV care continuum between men who have sex with men and women (MSMW) and men who have sex with men only (MSMO) are emerging in recent literature but have not been comprehensively documented among black MSM. Although MSMW have lower HIV prevalence than MSMO, they are more likely to be HIV-positive unaware and be virally unsuppressed. Explanatory factors for these differences have not previously been assessed.

Differences in alcohol use and alcohol-related problems between transgender- and nontransgender-identified young adults.

Background: Little is known about differences in alcohol use and alcohol-related problems between transgender- and nontransgender-identified populations. Using data from a large-scale health survey, we compare the drinking patterns and prevalence of alcohol-related problems of transgender-identified individuals to nontransgender-identified males and females. For transgender-identified people, we examine how various forms of victimization relate to heavy episodic drinking (HED).