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Publication Profiles

‘We Feel Like Everybody’s Going to Judge us’: Black Adolescent Girls’ and Young Women’s Perspectives on Barriers to and Opportunities for Improving Sexual Health Care, Including PrEP, in the Southern U.S

Citation

Pratt MC, Jeffcoat S, Hill SV, et al. “We Feel Like Everybody’s Going to Judge us”: Black Adolescent Girls’ and Young Women’s Perspectives on Barriers to and Opportunities for Improving Sexual Health Care, Including PrEP, in the Southern U.S. J Int Assoc Provid AIDS Care. 2022;21:23259582221107327. doi:10.1177/23259582221107327

Implementation stage:

Pre-Implementation

Implementation outcomes reported:

Not applicablePrEP initation,Linkage to preventative care

Continuum target addressed:

PrEP initiation, Linkage to preventative care

Geography:

Alabama

Study Participant Classification:

Recipients of care

Plain Language Objectives

The researchers interviewed Black adolescent girls and young women in Alabama about sexual health care and HIV-prevention medication. They wanted to understand how stigma, communication, and beliefs about who PrEP is for shaped access and interest.

Plain Language Abstract

Black adolescent girls and young women in the southern United States experience disproportionate HIV risk, yet few receive pre-exposure prophylaxis, or PrEP. Researchers conducted in-depth interviews with 12 Black participants in Alabama, ages 19–24, although the stated eligible range was 14–24. All reported condomless sex, each had one to three recent sexual partners, and six reported a previous sexually transmitted infection. Participants described sexual stigma that limited honest conversations with parents, educators, and health care providers. They also discussed how racism and gender stigma affected care seeking. Many had heard of PrEP, but they often did not view it as an option intended for them. The findings support approaches that incorporate the voices and experiences of Black cisgender adolescent girls and young women. Because only 12 people were interviewed, these themes reflect their perspectives rather than the prevalence of attitudes across Alabama or the South. The study identified barriers and opportunities but did not test an intervention or measure PrEP uptake.

Key Takeaways

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