Widespread closure of HIV prevention and care services places youth at higher risk during the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

Background Central to measuring the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on HIV is understanding the role of loss of access to essential HIV prevention and care services created by clinic and community-based organization closures. In this paper, we use a comprehensive list of HIV prevention services in four corridors of the US heavily impacted by HIV, developed as part of a large RCT, to illustrate the potential impact of service closure on LGBTQ+ youth. Methods We identified and mapped LGBTQ+ friendly services offering at least one of the following HIV-related services: HIV testing; STI testing; PrEP/PEP; HIV treatment and care; and other HIV-related services in 109 counties across four major interstate corridors heavily affected by HIV US Census regions: Pacific (San Francisco, CA to San Diego, CA); South-Atlantic (Washington, DC to Atlanta, GA); East-North-Central (Chicago, IL to Detroit, MI); and East-South-Central (Memphis, TN to New Orleans, LA). Results There were a total of 831 LGBTQ+ youth-friendly HIV service providers across the 109 counties. There was a range of LGBTQ+ youth-friendly HIV-service provider availability across counties (range: 0–14.33 per 10,000 youth aged 13–24 (IQR: 2.13), median: 1.09); 9 (8.26%) analyzed counties did not have any LGBTQ+ youth-friendly HIV service providers. The Pearson correlation coefficient for the correlation between county HIV prevalence and LGBTQ+ youth-friendly HIV service provider density was 0.16 (p = 0.09), suggesting only a small, non-statistically significant linear relationship between a county’s available LGBTQ+ youth-friendly HIV service providers and their HIV burden. Conclusions As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, we must find novel, affordable ways to continue to provide sexual health, mental health and other support services to LGBTQ+ youth.

Impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic on prescriptions for antiretroviral drugs for HIV treatment in the United States, 2019–2021

“…In addition, many HIV clinics were closed during the early months of the pandemic [22]. Finally, venues that support newly diagnosed persons to initiate ART using medication assistance programs, such as community-based organizations and nonemergent health clinics, were also closed [23].…”

"I Can’t Take This Shitty Quarantine Anymore": Sexual Behavior and PrEP Use Among Young Men Who Have Sex with Men and Transgender Women in Brazil During the COVID-19 Pandemic

“…Thus, it increased the vulnerability of these young people to HIV infection. Studies in other settings confirm that the pandemic has affected access to and use of HIV prevention methods, with evidence pointing to a reduction in service delivery (Stephenson et al, 2021a ; b ), with lower access to and use of condoms (Lewis et al, 2021 ), and access to STI prevention and treatment services (Santos et al, 2021 ), including among young sexual minority men (Hong et al, 2021 ). Similar to our findings, Lewis et al ( 2021 ) and Mantell et al ( 2021 ) found, respectively, that living with parents and moving during the pandemic were some of the factors that disrupted access to HIV prevention supplies.…”

“…Similar to our findings, Lewis et al ( 2021 ) and Mantell et al ( 2021 ) found, respectively, that living with parents and moving during the pandemic were some of the factors that disrupted access to HIV prevention supplies. Despite the decrease in the frequency of sexual intercourse in general, an increase in unprotected intercourse was observed among adult MSM in Israel (Shilo & Mor, 2020 ) and the USA (Stephenson et al, 2021a ; b ).…”

Care/Support, Location, and the Monitoring/Evaluation of HIV/AIDs Prevention Programs: The Case of Southern Senatorial District of Cross River State, Nigeria

“…Reducing HIV transmission, morbidity, and mortality might be sped up, and inequities could be narrowed by stepping up efforts to execute these methods fairly and equally. However, due to social distancing regulation occasioned by the Covid-19 pandemic, it has been forecasted that the chances of HIV and STI increasing are lower if a more extended period of sexual distancing is maintained (Jewell, Smith, and Hallett 2020;Stephenson et al 2021;Ponticiello et al 2020;Zapata et al 2021;Jenness et al 2021).…”