The relationship between anti-LGBTQ+ legislation and HIV prevention among sexual and gender minoritized youth

Nicole K Kelly; Shabbar I Ranapurwala; Brian W Pence; Lisa B Hightow-Weidman; Jaime Slaughter-Acey; Audrey L French; Sybil Hosek; Audrey E Pettifor

doi:10.1097/QAD.0000000000003926

The relationship between anti-LGBTQ+ legislation and HIV prevention among sexual and gender minoritized youth

AIDS. 2024 May 14. doi: 10.1097/QAD.0000000000003926. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Nicole K Kelly¹, Shabbar I Ranapurwala¹, Brian W Pence¹, Lisa B Hightow-Weidman², Jaime Slaughter-Acey¹, Audrey L French³, Sybil Hosek³, Audrey E Pettifor¹

Affiliations

¹ Department of Epidemiology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, USA.
² Institute on Digital Health and Innovation, Florida State University, College of Nursing, USA.
³ Department of Medicine, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago IL, USA.

PMID: 38742882
DOI: 10.1097/QAD.0000000000003926

Abstract

Objective: Estimate the longitudinal associations of state-level anti-LGBTQ+ policies and county-level politics with individual HIV prevention outcomes among sexual and gender minoritized (SGM) youth.

Design: Keeping it LITE-1 prospectively enrolled 3,330 SGM youth and young adults (ages 13-34) at increased risk of HIV throughout the United States from 2017-2022.

Methods: Semiannual surveys collected self-reported HIV prevention measures (current PrEP use, weekly PrEP adherence, HIV/STI testing in the past 6 months). Geolocation was linked with state-level LGBTQ+ policy data and county-level election data. Generalized linear models with GEE estimated the single and joint longitudinal associations for 2 exposures [state-level policy climate (more discriminatory vs. less discriminatory) and county-level political majority (Democratic/swing vs. Republican)] with each outcome.

Results: Among participants living in a state with more discriminatory laws, those in a Democratic/swing county had a 6-percentage point increase in PrEP use (95% CI: 0.02, 0.09) compared to those in a Republican county. Those living in a Republican county but a state with less discriminatory laws saw a similar increase (0.05; -0.02,0.11). Residing in both a Democratic/swing county and a state with less discriminatory laws, relative to a Republican county and a state with more discriminatory laws, was associated with a 10-percentage point increase in PrEP use (0.10; 0.06,0.14) and a 5-percentage point increase in HIV/STI testing (0.05; 0.00,0.09).

Conclusions: More progressive state and local policies were each associated with increased PrEP use, and together, doubled the magnitude of this association. PrEP is underutilized among SGM youth, and anti-LGBTQ+ policies may exacerbate this gap in coverage.