Peer Navigation to Improve Engagement in Care for HIV-Positive Men Who Have Sex With Men in Ehlanzeni, South Africa

Peer Navigation to Improve Engagement in Care for HIV-Positive Men Who Have Sex With Men in Ehlanzeni, South Africa

This protocol describes the Cohort Assessment phase of an R34 pilot intervention trial of a Peer Navigation (PN) intervention tailored to the needs of HIV-positive MSM in rural Mpumalanga province South Africa. The PN intervention to be adapted, I-Care, has been implemented among HIV-positive men and women in the general population in North West province, South Africa, by members of this research team.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Biological male;
• Age >=18 years;
• Self-identify as a gay or bisexual man, or a transgender woman;
• Have male sexual partners within the prior six months
• Resident in the Ehlanzeni District Municipality for at least six months of the year;
• Be physically present in Ehlanzeni for at least two weeks per month
• Self-disclosed receiving an HIV-positive diagnosis in the last 5 years;
• Consent to all serological testing for HIV antibodies, ART analytes, and HIV RNA
• Consent for study staff to review participants' clinical records;
• Consent to the randomization process.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Inability to provide written informed consent for participation, including being under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
• Inability to provide laboratory or documentary evidence of HIV diagnosis.