The Implications of HIV Biomedical Prevention for Perceived HIV Risk and Psychosexual Health Among US Sexual Minority Men

Sexual minority men (SMM) represent more than 50% of individuals living with HIV in the US despite making up less than 5% of the general population, underscoring the importance of continuing HIV prevention efforts for SMM. The advent of biomedical interventions such as pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and the evidence indicating Undetectable=Untransmittable (U=U) can have far-reaching benefits for SMM, potentially enhancing psychosexual health. This study examined the relationship of PrEP use and U=U belief to psychosexual health among HIV-negative/status-unknown SMM and explored perceived HIV risk as a mediator. HIV-negative/status unknown SMM (n = 351) were recruited via dating apps and social media to participate in an online survey study in 2019-2020. Participants completed measures of PrEP use, U=U belief, and psychosexual health (i.e., sexual anxiety, sexual esteem, and sexual satisfaction). The effects of PrEP use, U=U belief, and the interaction of the two were tested for psychosexual health outcomes. Perceived HIV risk was examined as a mediator. SMM who used PrEP reported more sexual esteem and more sexual satisfaction compared with SMM who did not use PrEP. PrEP use was not associated with sexual anxiety. U=U belief and the interaction of PrEP use x U=U belief were not associated with any outcome. Perceived HIV risk mediated the relationship between PrEP use and all three psychosexual health outcomes, but not between U=U belief and any outcome. The findings pose implications for promoting PrEP: it may be beneficial for public health messaging and healthcare settings to highlight the psychosexual benefits of using PrEP.

Author

• Modrakovic , Djordje Xen

Language

• en

Keyword

• Sexual minority men
• PrEP use
• Perceived HIV risk
• U=U belief
• HIV-negative
• Psychosexual health

Date created

• 2024

Type of Work

• Dissertation

License

• All rights reserved

Rights statement

• In Copyright

GW Unit

• Clinical Psychology

Degree

• Ph.D.

Advisor

• Calabrese, Sarah K

Committee Member(s)

• Zea, Maria Cecilia
• Forssell, Stephen L

Persistent URL

•  https://scholarspace.library.gwu.edu/etd/z890rv20w