Interventions to support HIV prevention among LGBTQIA+ adolescents and young people from an intersectional, participatory, and community-based perspective

• Grant number: 24/10853-5
• Support Opportunities: Research Grants - Young Investigators Grants
• Start date: June 01, 2025
• End date: May 31, 2027
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Collective Health - Public Health
• Principal Investigator: Eliana Miura Zucchi
• Grantee: Eliana Miura Zucchi
• Host Institution: Centro de Ciências Sociais Aplicadas e da Saúde (CCSAS). Universidade Católica de Santos (UNISANTOS). Santos , SP, Brazil
• Associated researchers: alexandre grangeiro ; Dulce Aurelia de Souza Ferraz ; Laura Elaine Ferguson ; LIGIA BITTENCOURT KISS ; Marcia Thereza Cavalcanti Couto ; Marie Préau

Abstract

This proposal aims to contribute to improving the linkage and retention of adolescents and young people using pre-exposure prophylaxis for HIV (PrEP) within the Brazilian Unified Health System (SUS). The proposal is based on (i) an implementation study of three modalities of PrEP (long-acting injectable cabotegravir (CAB-LA), event-driven, and daily use) among adolescent men who have sex with men (MSM) and trans individuals aged 15 to 19, with a high degree of HIV exposure, in the municipality of São Paulo, (ii) an exploratory investigation on access and linkage to PrEP among adolescents and youth in the municipality of Santos. From an institutional standpoint, the proposal seeks to consolidate the newly created Research Line 'Social markers of difference and sexual and reproductive health' within the Graduate Program in Collective Health, strengthening international cooperation with research centers at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Université Lumière Lyon 2, and the University of Southern California, which will contribute to research capacity in longitudinal qualitative investigations within the context of complex interventions. We aim to build a participatory, community-based, and intersectional model for evaluating linkage and retention interventions for PrEP use among adolescents and young people. We adopted a qualitative longitudinal research design spanning 24 months. Key methodological procedures include: (i) the formation of a community committee, (ii) review of the main theories and assumptions underlying the design and implementation of PrEP interventions targeting LGBTQIA+ adolescents, and (iii) longitudinal investigation tracking HIV prevention trajectories and self-care among adolescents and young people using PrEP. A triangulation perspective and intersectional practices will guide the data analysis process and interpretation of results, aiming to balance the power relationship between researchers and participants and construct knowledge in pursuit of repair and social justice. To broaden the impact of the research nationally and internationally, different dissemination strategies will focus on academic and scientific audiences, community organizations, and public bodies. (AU)