Role of Gay Neighborhood Status and Other Neighborhood Factors in Racial/Ethnic Disparities in Retention in Care and Viral Load Suppression Among Men Who Have Sex with Men, Florida, 2015.

Abstract

This study's objective was to examine the role of gay neighborhood residence and other neighborhood factors in racial/ethnic disparities in retention in HIV care and viral load suppression during 2015. Florida residents diagnosed 2000-2014 with HIV infection and with transmission mode of men who have sex with men (MSM) were included in multi-level logistic regression models. Of 29,156 MSM, 29.4% were not retained and 34.2% were not virally suppressed. Non-Hispanic Blacks (NHB) had a higher likelihood of not being retained (adjusted prevalence ratio [aPR] 1.31, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.24-1.38, p value<0.0001) and not being virally suppressed (aPR 1.82, 95% CI 1.67-1.98, p value<0.0001) compared with non-Hispanic Whites. Among NHBs, rural residence was protective for both outcomes. Although gay neighborhood residence was not associated with either outcome, the role of other neighborhood factors suggests that individual and neighborhood barriers to HIV care and treatment should be addressed among MSM.