A Training Program to Address HIV-related Health Disparities in MSM

NIH RePORTER · NIH · T32 · $166,600 · view on reporter.nih.gov ↗

Abstract

ABSTRACT The HIV epidemic in the United States remains a critical public health concern, particularly for multiply marginalized populations such as Black men who have sex with men (Black MSM) and Black trans women. In the U.S., MSM experience a disproportionate burden of HIV infection, accounting for over two-thirds of new cases. There is a profound need to design and test biobehavioral HIV prevention interventions for MSM and trans women, particularly those who are Black, using intersectional approaches. Given the high burden of intersectional stigma reported by Black MSM and trans women and its negative effects on HIV-related healthcare uptake, biobehavioral HIV prevention for Black MSM and trans women will require an intersectional stigma framework, specific to their interfacing with healthcare settings, to be optimally effective. Challenges associated with the creation and uptake of combination prevention responses will certainly not be overcome unless we continue to invest in the training of new generations of scholars who are committed to ending the epidemic among MSM. This application requests support for the five-year continuation of our NIMH-funded institutional training grant, “A Training Program to Address HIV-related Health Disparities in MSM”. This training program has been designed with the goal of providing trainees with the necessary skill sets to not only launch their careers, but also to make a substantial difference in the fight against HIV/AIDS among MSM. This program is grounded within a leading School of Public Health, a research environment that is not only rich in terms of HIV prevention research but also has a strong tradition in LGBT health research, with robust theoretical and empirical approaches to explaining risk among MSM and a strong focus in HIV global health and bio-behavioral research. This creates an ideal environment to train the next generation of HIV prevention scientists who will address the epidemic among MSM. Continuation of a T32 training program within this extraordinarily rich environment will continue a mechanism to mentor the next generation of HIV prevention scientists who will be uniquely poised to find ways to end the epidemic among MSM.

Key facts

NIH application ID
10874703
Project number
5T32MH094174-14
Recipient
UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH AT PITTSBURGH
Principal Investigator
James Erin Egan
Activity code
T32
Funding institute
NIH
Fiscal year
2024
Award amount
$166,600
Award type
5
Project period
2011-07-01 → 2026-06-30