Sexual and Gender Minorities

This research study aims to test the effectiveness, reach, and maintenance over time of the NPOWER365 HIV care intervention for Black men who have sex with men (BMSM) living with HIV. NPOWER365 is a BMSM community-developed multicomponent intervention that aims to: 1) Support daily health promotion via HIV health education and health maintenance reminders; 2) Foster positive social connections among BMSM via online moderated forums, interpersonal chats, and community calendars; 3) Connect clients to BMSM-affirming healthcare, including HIV treatment and mental healthcare; 4) Provide resources for housing, transportation, and other economic empowerment.

Sexual and gender minority youth (i.e., LGBTQ+ individuals) are at elevated risk for suicidal thoughts compared to cisgender/heterosexual youth and there is increased demand for programs and treatments tailored to this population. The current study seeks to pilot a brief, online, self-guided intervention for suicidal thoughts designed for sexual and gender minority youth to test if this intervention is acceptable to this population and if completing this intervention significantly decreases suicidal thoughts.

This study s objective is to test the acceptability and feasibility of a guide to facilitate counseling about HIV prevention, focusing on HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP). PrEP is a medication taken by HIV-negative persons to avoid an HIV infection. Healthcare providers (including but not limited to physicians and nurses) who see gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men (GBM) will be randomly assigned to completing a short online training versus continuing their usual activities. The online training consists of modules containing brief information about PrEP, and about how to address concerns and difficulties that GBM face to get PrEP and to take care of their sexual health. The investigators will ask healthcare providers to answer questionnaires before and after the research activities take place, and a member of the research team will interview some of them at the end. Every time a healthcare provider has a counseling session with a GBM, they will facilitate putting a research coordinator in touch with the person receiving the counseling. Those GBM will also be asked to fill out questionnaires. These activities will take place in the province of Ontario, Canada.

Older sexual and gender minority (SGM) patients are at risk for receiving inequitable end-of-life care; those with Alzheimer's disease and related dementias (ADRD) are at particularly high risk. Failure to collect and integrate sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI) data to identify patients' informal support systems may have adverse health consequences for SGM older adults, particularly for those dependent on informal caregivers to provide in-home support and assist with activities of daily living. The goal of this K01 is develop a novel training for hospice staff in person-centered communication that includes SOGI data collection to promote authentic end-of-life care for SGM patients and their caregivers.