# Social environmental drivers of stimulant use and its impact on HIV prevention and treatment in Black men who have sex with men

> **NIH NIH R21** · NEW YORK STATE PSYCHIATRIC INSTITUTE DBA RESEARCH FOUNDATION FOR MENTAL HYGIENE, INC · 2021 · $271,239

## Abstract

Significance. Use of stimulants is a growing problem in the US. This growing public health crisis requires
expanded research to explore its reach, drivers and impact, including on marginalized groups, such as Black
gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men (MSM), a critical population that is disproportionately
impacted by HIV. Estimates of the incidence and persistence of stimulant use in Black MSM is needed, as well
as research on how it co-occurs with other drug use (i.e. polysubstance use), its social-environmental drivers,
and its impact on HIV transmission. Research Plan. In Aim 1, we will characterize stimulant use in an established
cohort of Black MSM, including co-occurring use with other drugs (i.e. polysubstance use) and use over time
(e.g., incidence, persistence). In Aim 2, we will identify network-level (e.g. disassortative racial mixing, network
turnover) and neighborhood-level (e.g., social cohesion, time spent in gay neighborhoods) drivers of stimulant
use in Black MSM. In Aim 3, we will assess how stimulant use impacts HIV transmission in Black MSM through
HIV prevention (e.g. PrEP adherence, condom use), HIV treatment (e.g. ART adherence, viral suppression) and
biological vulnerability (e.g. rectal cytokines). The ongoing Neighborhoods and Networks (N2) Cohort Study
(R01MH112406; PIs: Duncan & Schneider) provides an ideal opportunity to conduct the proposed study. N2
includes 186 HIV-positive and 227 HIV-negative Black MSM living in Chicago. Data being collected include
stimulant use at multiple cycles, in-depth assessments of neighborhoods (including real-time geospatial methods
to track mobility within and between neighborhoods), multiple social network typologies, and HIV-related
prevention and treatment behaviors. The proposed study will use N2 data to conduct Aims 1-3. We also propose
to use existing N2 infrastructure to recruit 30 current stimulant-using and 10 non-stimulant-using HIV-negative
Black MSM from the N2 study, and conduct in-depth interviews with them using a timeline follow-back survey
focused on stimulant use and sexual risk behavior, as well as collect rectal swabs, urine and blood samples as
objective biomarkers, in order to explore in-depth how stimulant use contributes to HIV transmission. The results
of this study will inform the development of an R34 proposal to develop and test an intervention that addresses
stimulant use and HIV in a critical population. Team. Investigators with expertise in stimulant use, HIV, social
network analysis, spatial epidemiology, immunology, integration of biological and behavioral research, and mixed
methods research will conduct this research together. Public Health Impact. The proposed study will be a large,
rigorous and innovative study of stimulant use, its social-environmental drivers and its impact on HIV
transmission in Black MSM, a group with a heavy burden of stimulant use and HIV. The proposed study is aligned
with multiple NIDA funding priorities, inclu...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10325012
- **Project number:** 1R21DA053156-01A1
- **Recipient organization:** NEW YORK STATE PSYCHIATRIC INSTITUTE DBA RESEARCH FOUNDATION FOR MENTAL HYGIENE, INC
- **Principal Investigator:** Justin Knox
- **Activity code:** R21 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $271,239
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2021-08-15 → 2023-07-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10325012

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10325012, Social environmental drivers of stimulant use and its impact on HIV prevention and treatment in Black men who have sex with men (1R21DA053156-01A1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10325012. Licensed CC0.

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