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02-01-2024 | Human Immunodeficiency Virus | Original Paper

A Qualitative Analysis of Barriers to Accessing HIV Prevention Services During an HIV Outbreak among Persons who Inject Drugs in West Virginia

Authors: Rebecca B. Hershow, Nancy Worthington, Monica Adams, Robert McDonald, Suzanne Wilson, Shannon McBee, Shawn Balleydier, Kathryn G. Curran

Published in: AIDS and Behavior | Issue 2/2024

Abstract

In response to an increase in HIV diagnoses among persons who inject drugs (PWID) in Kanawha County, West Virginia, West Virginia Bureau for Public Health and CDC conducted a qualitative assessment in Kanawha County to inform HIV outbreak response activities. Interviews with 26 PWID and 45 community partners were completed. Transcribed interviews were analyzed to identify barriers to accessing HIV prevention services among PWID using the risk environment framework. Participants identified numerous political, physical, social, and economic community-level barriers that influenced access to HIV prevention services among PWID. Political factors included low community support for syringe services programs (SSPs); physical factors included low SSP coverage, low coverage of HIV testing outreach events, low HIV preexposure prophylaxis availability, and homelessness; social factors included stigma and discrimination; economic factors included community beliefs that SSPs negatively affect economic investments and limited resources for HIV screening in clinical settings. Individual-level barriers included co-occurring acute medical conditions and mental illness. Community-level interventions, such as low-barrier one-stop shop models, are needed to increase access to sterile syringes through comprehensive harm reduction services.

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Title: A Qualitative Analysis of Barriers to Accessing HIV Prevention Services During an HIV Outbreak among Persons who Inject Drugs in West Virginia
Authors: Rebecca B. Hershow
Nancy Worthington
Monica Adams
Robert McDonald
Suzanne Wilson
Shannon McBee
Shawn Balleydier
Kathryn G. Curran
Publication date: 02-01-2024
Publisher: Springer US
Keyword: Human Immunodeficiency Virus
Published in: AIDS and Behavior / Issue 2/2024
Print ISSN: 1090-7165
Electronic ISSN: 1573-3254
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10461-023-04254-2

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