Barriers to HIV/STI Services and Service Access Preferences Among Rural Sexual Minority Men and Native American Men in Oklahoma

Abstract

HIV and STI incidence are disproportionately elevated among sexual minority men (SMM) and Native American (NA) men in rural Oklahoma. The present study is a formative assessment of the Ending the HIV Epidemic in Rural Oklahoma (e-HERO) project, which is part of the Ending the HIV Epidemic (EHE) initiative. EHE has an overarching goal of reducing incidence rates of HIV and STIs in rural Oklahoma. Semistructured focus groups were conducted with 16 men who self-identified as a sexual minority, Native American, or a combination of both who reside in Oklahoma to: (1) assess needs related to HIV/STI prevention and testing, (2) determine facilitators and barriers to resource access, and (3) assess preferences for mobile health intervention programming. Two overarching themes emerged: (1) HIV program participation barriers and (2) HIV service access preferences. There is an inherent need to advance integrated care in rural Oklahoma, with services that foster affirming environments for both SMM and NA men.

Keywords: HIV; Native American; Oklahoma; STI; barriers; e-HERO; rural; sexual minority.