Structural-level factors have contributed to the substantial disproportionate rates of HIV among Black men who have sex with men (BMSM) in the United States. Despite insufficient HIV testing patterns, however, there is a void in research investigating the relationship between structural factors and access to HIV testing and prevention services among BMSM. Building on previous scholarly work and incorporating a dynamic social systems conceptual framework, we conducted a comprehensive review of the literature on structural barriers to HIV testing and prevention services among BMSM across four domains: healthcare, stigma and discrimination, incarceration, and poverty. We found that BMSM experience inadequate access to culturally competent services, stigma and discrimination that impede access to services, a deficiency of services in correctional institutions, and limited services in areas where BMSM live. Structural interventions that eliminate barriers to HIV testing and prevention services and provide BMSM with core skills to navigate complex systems are needed.

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Understanding structural barriers to accessing HIV testing and prevention services among black men who have sex with men (BMSM) in the United States.

Persons involved with the criminal justice system are at risk for HIV and other transmissible diseases due to substance use and related risk behaviors. Incarceration provides a public health opportunity to test for HIV, viral hepatitis, and other sexually transmitted infections, provide treatment such as highly active antiretroviral therapy, and link infected persons to longitudinal comprehensive HIV care upon their release for such comorbidities as addiction and mental illness. Delivering health interventions inside prisons and jails can be challenging, yet the challenges pale in comparison to the benefits of interventions for inmates and their communities. This article reviews the current state of delivering HIV testing, prevention, treatment, and transition services to incarcerated populations in the United States. It concludes with summary recommendations for research and practice to improve the health of inmates and their communities.

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Opportunities to Diagnose, Treat, and Prevent HIV in the Criminal Justice System

Incarceration is a crisis among African Americans, and the prevalence of HIV/AIDS in incarcerated men and women is 3-5 times that of the general population We explore the potential implications of the widespread incarceration of African Americans on HIV risk and HIV outcomes in: 1) the current and formerly incarcerated, 2) their sexual partners, and 3) the communities impacted by incarceration We set forth a research agenda for understanding and ameliorating the negative impacts incarceration and conclude that the African-American population's ability to successfully address the HIV/AIDS epidemic requires a coordinated and evidence-based response to the challenge of effectively preventing, managing and treating HIV in populations affected by incarceration

https://escholarship.org/content/qt8rn0q96n/qt8rn0q96n.pdf?t=o8jxvn

Incarceration African Americans and HIV: Advancing a Research Agenda

Incarceration, particularly when recurrent, can significantly compromise the health of individuals living with HIV. Despite this, the occurrence of recidivism among individuals with HIV has been little examined, particularly among those leaving jail, who may be at especially high risk for return to the criminal justice system. We evaluated individual- and structural-level predictors of recidivism and time to re-incarceration in a cohort of 798 individuals with HIV leaving jail. Nearly a third of the sample experienced at least one re-incarceration event in the 6 months following jail release. Having ever been diagnosed with a major psychiatric disorder, prior homelessness, having longer lifetime incarceration history, having been charged with a violent offense for the index incarceration and not having health insurance in the 30 days following jail release were predictive of recidivism and associated with shorter time to re-incarceration. Health interventions for individuals with HIV who are involved in the criminal justice system should also target recidivism as a predisposing factor for poor health outcomes. The factors found to be associated with recidivism in this study may be potential targets for intervention and need to be further explored. Reducing criminal justice involvement should be a key component of efforts to promote more sustainable improvements in health and well-being among individuals living with HIV.

Understanding the Revolving Door: Individual and Structural-Level Predictors of Recidivism Among Individuals with HIV Leaving Jail

HIV and AIDS disproportionately affect African Americans more than any other racial or ethnic group in the United States. Representing only 13% of the U.S. population, African-American adults and adolescents comprise more than half of all HIV/AIDS cases reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The present incidence and prevalence of HIV/AIDS in the black community in the United States is of crisis proportions. The situation as it stands today is tantamount to a state of emergency for African Americans.

https://www.northstarnews.com/userimages/references/HIV%20AIDS_National%20Medical%20Association%20Journal.pdf

HIV/AIDS and the African-American community: a state of emergency.

Individuals leaving prison face challenges to establishing healthy lives in the community, including opportunities to engage in behavior that puts them at risk for HIV transmission. HIV prevention case management (PCM) can facilitate linkages to services, which in turn can help remove barriers to healthy behavior. As part of a federally funded demonstration project, the community-based organization Centerforce provided 5 months of PCM to individuals leaving 3 state prisons in California. Program effects were measured by assessing changes in risk behavior, access to services, reincarnation, and program completion. Although response rates preclude definitive conclusions, HIV risk behavior did decrease. Regardless of race, age, or gender, those receiving comprehensive health services were significantly more likely to complete the program. PCM appears to facilitate healthy behavior for individuals leaving prison.

Stacy Costa-Taylor

Papers

Get Connected: an HIV prevention case management program for men and women leaving California prisons.