Employment as HIV Prevention: An Employment Support Intervention for Adolescent Men Who Have Sex With Men and Adolescent Transgender Women of Color

Brandon J. Hill*, Darnell N. Motley, Kris Rosentel, Alicia Vandevusse, Charlie Fuller, Shannon M.E. Bowers, Meghan Williams, Michele Kipke, Lisa Kuhns, Nicole Pashka, Sari Reisner, Justin B. Demonte, Rachel W. Goolsby, Betty M. Rupp, Nicole Slye, Lisa C. Strader, John A. Schneider, Lisa Razzano, Robert Garofalo

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

2 Scopus citations

Abstract

Background:The purpose of this study was to adapt and pilot-test an employment support, primary HIV intervention tailored to the needs of adolescent men who have sex with men and adolescent transgender women of color.Setting:The intervention was implemented in 2 settings: controlled environment (Phase 1) and real-world community-based (Phase 2) setting in Chicago, IL.Methods:Eighty-seven adolescent men who have sex with men and adolescent transgender women of color ages 16-24 participated in Work2Prevent, a 4-session employment and HIV prevention intervention, designed to increase job-readiness and reduce HIV risk. Intervention sessions consisted of group activities: educational games, roleplaying/modeling behavior, and self-regulation exercises. Participants were assessed at baseline, postintervention, and 8-month (Phase 1) or 3-month follow-up (Phase 2).Results:Participants evaluated Work2Prevent as feasible and acceptable, rating intervention quality, usefulness, and satisfaction highly. Overall, 59.6% (Phase 1) and 85.0% (Phase 2) participants attended 2 or more sessions. At 8 months, Phase 1 participants reported a mean increase of 11.4 hours worked per week. Phase 2 participants reported a mean increase of 5.2 hours worked per week and an increase in job-seeking self-efficacy. Phase 2 participants also reported a decrease in transactional sex work.Conclusion:Work2Prevent is one of the first structural primary HIV interventions to specifically focus on adolescent employment readiness. Findings suggest Work2Prevent is feasible and acceptable, improved adolescent employment outcomes, and reduced HIV risk associated with transactional sex work. Our study underscores the need for alternative pathways, such as addressing socioeconomic determinants, to prevent adolescent HIV infection.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)31-38
Number of pages8
JournalJournal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes
Volume91
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - Sep 1 2022

Funding

Supported by the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD), National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), and National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Adolescent Medicine Trials Network for HIV/AIDS Interventions (ATN) under Award Number U24 HD089880, the National Institute on Disability & Rehabilitation Research (#H133G110108), and Third Coast Center for AIDS Research (TCCFAR) (P30AI117943). The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the NIH.

Keywords

  • HIV prevention
  • adolescents
  • economic instability
  • employment
  • men who have sex with men
  • transgender women

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Infectious Diseases
  • Pharmacology (medical)

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