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. 2023 Jan-Dec:22:23259582231196705.
doi: 10.1177/23259582231196705.

Social Networks Play a Complex Role in HIV Prevention Knowledge, Attitudes, Practices, and the Uptake of PrEP Through Transgender Women Communities Centered Around Three "Casas Trans" in Lima, Peru: A Qualitative Study

Tijana Temelkovska  1   2 , Kathleen Moriarty  3 , Leyla Huerta  4 , Amaya Perez-Brumer  5 , Eddy Segura  6 , Ryan Colby Passaro  7 , Jordan E Lake  8 , Jesse Clark  9 , Cherie Blair  9
Affiliations

Social Networks Play a Complex Role in HIV Prevention Knowledge, Attitudes, Practices, and the Uptake of PrEP Through Transgender Women Communities Centered Around Three "Casas Trans" in Lima, Peru: A Qualitative Study

Tijana Temelkovska et al. J Int Assoc Provid AIDS Care. 2023 Jan-Dec.

Abstract

Transgender women's (TW) social networks may facilitate HIV prevention information dissemination and normative reinforcement. We conducted a qualitative study of social networks among 20 TW affiliated with 3 "casas trans" (houses shared among TW) in Lima, Peru, using diffusion of innovations theory to investigate community-level HIV prevention norms. Participants completed demographic questionnaires, social network interviews, and semistructured in-depth interviews. Median age was 26 and all participants engaged in sex work. Interviews revealed high HIV prevention knowledge and positive attitudes, but low engagement in HIV prevention. Respondents primarily discussed HIV prevention with other TW. Network members' opinions about pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) frequently influenced respondents' personal beliefs, including mistrust of healthcare personnel, concern that PrEP efficacy was unproven, fear of adverse effects, and frustration regarding difficulty accessing PrEP. Patterns of influence in TW networks may be leveraged to improve uptake of HIV prevention tools, including PrEP.

Keywords: HIV prevention; Peru; PrEP; social network; transgender women.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

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