Feasibility and Acceptability of an mHealth Patient Navigation Intervention to Increase PrEP Uptake in Racially and Ethnically Diverse Sexual and Gender Minority Youth in Los Angeles (PrEPresent): Pilot Randomized Control Trial (Preprint)

• DOI: 10.2196/preprints.69255
• Publication Date: 2024-12-07T03:32:56Z
• Authors: Sam Calvetti; Bryan Lei; Jacob B Stocks; Matthew T Rosso; Manuel Puentes; Ramon Durazo-Arvizu; Lindsay Slay; Michele D Kipke; Lisa B. Hightow-W...
• Keywords: Preprint; Ethnically diverse; mHealth; Pilot trial

<sec> <title>BACKGROUND</title> Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is a powerful tool to prevent the transmission of HIV. Interventions promoting this medication must focus on populations most impacted by systemic barriers uptake. Historically, young sexual minority men (YSMM) and transgender women have highest demonstrated rates new HIV diagnoses, but prevalence within other gender now being studied. To date, few interventions focused exclusively addressing PrEP uptake with (SGM) youth, particularly through mobile health (mHealth) technologies. Built successful foundation HealthMpowerment (HMP) Platform, PrEPresent aimed engage SGM youth across diverse racial ethnic identities in Greater Los Angeles area. </sec> <title>OBJECTIVE</title> The aim study was evaluate feasibility acceptability digital peer patient-navigation application. <title>METHODS</title> intervention took place over 6-month timepoint visits at baseline, 3 months, 6 months. active period lasted from baseline Control participants received an information only version app. Intervention enhanced app additional features access interventionalist, PrEPresentative. could meet PrEPresentative 4 times 3-month via phone, HIPPA-compliant video conferencing, or in-app text messaging system. measured survey response UrSure rapid urine test tenofovir. <title>RESULTS</title> comprised 147 – 48.3% (71/147) were Latinx 18.4% (27/147) Black/African American. Most (66.6%, 98/147) remainder (33.3%, 49/147) cisgender men. initiated 14/56 (25.0%) 11/58 (19.0%) control participants. 50% (36/72) completed two more sessions interventionalist. had average 15.93 logins compared 6.31 for Average usage mHealth platform 9.51 minutes 3.03 <title>CONCLUSIONS</title> met primary outcome measure metrics acceptability, demonstrating that mHealth-based peer-navigator support has potential increase racially ethnically SGM. Despite this, low both arms iterations HMP projects. While offers promising prevention outcomes, fostering participant engagement will continue be crucial behavior change. With widescale adoption on-demand long-acting injectable PrEP, targeting adherence need adapt as landscape delivery evolves. Larger trials powered efficacy are warranted understand how platforms peer-navigation systems can address related <title>CLINICALTRIAL</title> ClinicalTrials.gov NCT05281393; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT05281393 <title>INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT</title> RR2-10.2196/50866