Interventions to Improve the HIV PrEP Cascade Among Methamphetamine Users

Interventions to Improve the HIV PrEP Cascade Among Methamphetamine Users

Despite increasing knowledge about and use of PrEP nationally, HIV continues to have disproportionate impact among cisgender men and transgender persons who have sex with men and transgender persons (MSM/TG), with methamphetamine (meth)-users being at particularly high risk. Building on their preliminary work, the investigators will pilot text messaging and peer navigation interventions to support PrEP use among meth-using MSM/TG with potential to be cost-effective, scalable, and easily adaptable.

Despite increasing knowledge about and use of PrEP nationally, HIV continues to have disproportionate impact among cisgender men and transgender persons who have sex with men and transgender persons (MSM/TG), with methamphetamine (meth)-users being at particularly high risk. Despite apparent high levels of PrEP knowledge and exceptional insurance and medication coverage, few meth-users in Western WA have enrolled in local PrEP programs. The investigators' preliminary work with meth-using MSM/TG has identified both traditional barriers to PrEP and barriers specific for meth users, including competing priorities (e.g., getting high); lack of regularity in daily schedules leading to difficulties complying with appointments and medication adherence; and concomitant wellness and social concerns, notably depression and meth-related stigma. Additional work is needed to develop new strategies to increase PrEP uptake and support persistence and adherence among meth-using MSM/TG. Building on their preliminary work, the investigators will pilot text messaging and peer navigation interventions to support PrEP use among meth-using MSM/TG with potential to be cost-effective, scalable, and easily adaptable. The first, peer navigation, has been studied in ARV treatment and has been proposed for PrEP. The second, text messaging, has been shown to increase ARV and PrEP adherence.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Meets the clinic's eligibility criteria for PrEP
• 18 years of age or older
• HIV-negative
• Cisgender man or individual on the trans gender variant spectrum who has sex with men
• Ability to understand, read, and speak English
• Reports meth use in the past 3 months
• Has a cell phone able to send and receive text messages

Exclusion Criteria:

• PrEP use in the prior month,
• Discomfort or anxiety with regards to text messaging.
• Has any circumstances that, based on the study staff's opinion, would preclude provision of informed consent, make participation unsafe, or make it unlikely the participant would be able to participate for 6 months.