Increasing provider awareness of PrEP on HBCU campuses and beyond: A case study of the HBCU HIV prevention project (H2P)

Goulda A Downer; Suzanne Randolph Cunningham; Lauren M Ramsey; Kecia L Ellick; Denise Bailey

doi:10.1016/j.jnma.2024.01.011

Increasing provider awareness of PrEP on HBCU campuses and beyond: A case study of the HBCU HIV prevention project (H2P)

J Natl Med Assoc. 2024 Jun;116(3):228-237. doi: 10.1016/j.jnma.2024.01.011. Epub 2024 Feb 13.

Authors

Goulda A Downer¹, Suzanne Randolph Cunningham², Lauren M Ramsey³, Kecia L Ellick⁴, Denise Bailey⁵

Affiliations

¹ HU Telehealth Training Center, Director, Center of Excellence (CoE), Director, Caribbean Clinicians Community of Practice (CCCoP), Howard University College of Medicine, 508 W Street NW Suite 3200, Washington DC 20059, USA. Electronic address: gdowner@howard.edu.
² Chief Science Officer, The MayaTech Corporation, 8401 Colesville Road - Suite 430, Silver Spring, MD 20910, USA.
³ Meta Consulting, LLC, USA.
⁴ KLE Consulting, LLC, 3079 Campbellton Rd SW, Suite 204, Atlanta, GA 30311, USA.
⁵ Center of Excellence, Howard University College of Medicine, Howard University Telehealth Training Center, 508 W. Street, NW, Washington, DC 20059, USA.

PMID: 38350799
DOI: 10.1016/j.jnma.2024.01.011

Abstract

Background: The HBCU-HIV Prevention Project (H2P) is a culturally-tailored, targeted intervention at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) aimed at training health care providers as key players in reducing HIV infections and improving healthcare outcomes among HBCU students.

Methods: A cross-sectional purposive sample of health care providers at health centers on HBCU campuses and invited health care professionals from partnering organizations in their surrounding communities participated in an 11-module series on the CDC's evidence-based HIV prevention strategy for high-risk individuals, pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP). The intervention was aimed at increasing provider awareness and knowledge about PrEP and the importance of HIV testing and counseling as well as promoting provider intentions to use PrEP (initiating discussions with students and prescribing). Pre- and post-module quizzes served as awareness and knowledge assessments and providers also received online surveys about their intentions and uses of PrEP at 30 and 60 days post-training.

Results: Both on-campus and off-campus providers showed trending gains in awareness and knowledge for information in all modules. The off-campus providers appear to be more willing to use the information for initiating discussions and prescribing PrEP; however, HBCU providers also expressed similar intentions, although at lower rates.

Conclusions: The project successfully increased provider awareness of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), effective HIV testing, and strategies for reducing HIV infection among HBCU college students. Findings highlight the project's impact on enhancing provider training and the potential of this impact on addressing HIV disparities among African Americans on HBCU campuses and their surrounding communities. The success of the H2P Project provides valuable insights for future interventions, reinforcing the importance of targeted, systems-level approaches in mitigating health disparities among marginalized populations. Implications are also drawn as to the potential for expanding such provider-level interventions to address other health conditions and informing policy development in African American communities.

Keywords: Black/African American; HBCUs; HIV; Provider training.

MeSH terms

Adult
Black or African American*
Cross-Sectional Studies
Female
HIV Infections* / ethnology
HIV Infections* / prevention & control
Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice*
Health Personnel
Humans
Male
Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis*
United States
Universities