Publication date: Feb 08, 2025
The impact of COVID-19 on specific populations, including gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (GBMSM), varies based on a range of factors such as access to health care, underlying health behaviors and conditions, and social determinants of health. Our community-based participatory research partnership sought to better understand perspectives about and experiences with the COVID-19 pandemic, COVID-19 vaccination, and related health care among GBMSM. We collected, analyzed, and interpreted qualitative in-depth interview data from a diverse sample of GBMSM (N = 30) in North Carolina, USA. Using purposive sampling, we recruited native English (n = 15) and Spanish (n = 15) speakers and persons with HIV (n = 13) and persons without HIV (n = 17). We analyzed interview data using constant comparison, an approach to grounded theory. Participant mean was 33. 4 (SD = 8. 5) years. Sixteen themes emerged that were categorized into five domains: trust/mistrust of politicians, healthcare professionals, and the US government (n = 4 themes); engagement in COVID-19 prevention strategies (n = 2 themes); attitudes towards COVID-19 vaccination (n = 3 themes); access to and use of health care (n = 4 themes); and impact of COVID-19 on social determinants of health and mental health (n = 3 themes). This research increases our understanding of the COVID-19 pandemic among particularly minoritized and underserved communities: racially and ethnically diverse, English- and Spanish-speaking GBMSM with and without HIV in the US South. By addressing the unique needs and concerns of these communities, we can promote more equitable public health responses; enhance preventive healthcare delivery; improve preparedness for subsequent outbreaks (e. g., mpox), epidemics, and pandemics; and be better equipped to support delivery and uptake of potential future preventive HIV vaccines among communities impacted by health disparities.
Open Access PDF
Semantics
| Type | Source | Name |
|---|---|---|
| disease | MESH | COVID-19 pandemic |
| disease | MESH | access to health care |
| drug | DRUGBANK | Tropicamide |
| disease | MESH | health disparities |
| disease | MESH | Infectious Diseases |
| pathway | REACTOME | Reproduction |
| drug | DRUGBANK | Dimethyl sulfone |
| disease | MESH | phobia |
| disease | MESH | HIV infection |
| pathway | REACTOME | HIV Infection |
| disease | MESH | morbidity |
| disease | MESH | complications |
| disease | IDO | country |
| disease | IDO | geographical region |
| disease | IDO | production |
| drug | DRUGBANK | Serine |
| drug | DRUGBANK | Fenamole |
| disease | IDO | susceptibility |
| disease | MESH | infection |
| disease | IDO | history |
| disease | MESH | historical traumas |
| disease | MESH | Syphilis |
| disease | MESH | STI |
| disease | MESH | depression |
| disease | MESH | anxiety |
| drug | DRUGBANK | Coenzyme M |
| drug | DRUGBANK | Trestolone |
| drug | DRUGBANK | Ethionamide |
| drug | DRUGBANK | Esomeprazole |
| disease | IDO | intervention |
| disease | IDO | blood |
| disease | IDO | immunodeficiency |
| disease | IDO | host |
| disease | MESH | Respiratory Diseases |
| disease | MESH | cardiovascular risks |
| disease | MESH | AIDS |
| disease | MESH | Homosexuality |