Perspectives on academic mentorship from sexual and gender minority students pursuing careers in the health sciences.

High-quality academic mentorship is key to the success of students pursuing careers in the health sciences. Mentorship may take on additional importance for sexual and gender minority (SGM) students, who often face stressors related to stigmatized identities. We conducted an anonymous online survey to assess the mentorship experiences of SGM students pursuing careers in the health sciences and to elicit their perspectives on what makes an effective mentor.

Factors Associated with Immunization Opinion Leadership among Men Who Have Sex with Men in Los Angeles, California.

We sought to identify the characteristics of men who have sex with men (MSM) who are opinion leaders on immunization issues and to identify potential opportunities to leverage their influence for vaccine promotion within MSM communities. Using venue-based sampling, we recruited and enrolled MSM living in Los Angeles ( = 520) from December 2016 to February 2017 and evaluated characteristic differences in sociodemographic characteristics, health behaviors, and technology use among those classified as opinion leaders versus those who were not. We also asked respondents about their past receipt of meningococcal serogroups A, C, W, and Y (MenACWY) and meningococcal B (MenB) vaccines, as well as their opinions on the importance of 13 additional vaccines.

Intervention to Increase HIV Testing Among Substance-Using Young Men Who Have Sex With Men: Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial.

Background: Young men who have sex with men (YMSM) and transgender people in the Detroit Metro Area are the only risk group for whom the incidence of HIV and sexually transmitted infections (STI) has increased since 2000, with HIV incidence nearly doubling among youth. Substance use (including alcohol), which is relatively frequent among YMSM and transgender people, creates barriers to the optimal delivery of HIV prevention and care services. Standard HIV counseling, testing, and referral (CTR) is limited in providing strategies to identify and address substance use.