Project STYLE (“Strength Through Youth Livin’ Empowered”)
Young Black men who have sex with men (MSM) have high rates of HIV infection and are less likely to receive HIV treatment than men of other racial groups. Men who have sex with men (MSM) represented 82% of all new HIV infections in 2015, and 92% among males ages 13-24. New infections increased 26% among young MSM between 2008 and 2011, largely driven by an increase from 3,762 diagnoses in 2008 to 4,619 diagnoses among in 2011 among young Black MSM. Fortunately, by 2014, rates of new HIV diagnoses among Black MSM stabilized, increasing less than 1%, and HIV diagnoses among young Black MSM men declined 2%. However, young Black MSM are still seven times more likely to be unaware of their HIV infection, compared to young MSM of other ethnic or racial groups. Researchers have identified multiple reasons that affect linkage to and engagement in healthcare among people living with HIV. Barriers to care occur at different social levels and include: individual (e.g., stigma), interpersonal (e.g., medical mistrust), social/ community level (e.g., lack of social support), and structural (e.g., lack of insurance or transportation to physician) issues.
The University of California, San Francisco PRC is collaborating with a local CBO that is implementing an adaptation of “Strength Through Youth Livin’ Empowered” (STYLE), which has shown to be effective in improving engagement in HIV healthcare among young Black and Latino MSM living with HIV. The local STYLE adaptation is called “M+” and addresses HIV-related health disparities among African Americans. STYLE seeks to diagnose, engage, and retain black MSM, prioritizing young MSM, living with HIV in primary healthcare services in Alameda County, California and adjacent counties.
Project Identifier “Strength Through Youth Livin’ Empowered” (STYLE)
Funding Source PRC Program
Project Status Active
Host Institution University of California, San Francisco
Health Topics HIV/AIDS & STD prevention | Sexual health
Research setting: Oakland, CA
Race or ethnicity African American or Black
Gender Males
Age group Adolescents (12-17 years) | Young adults (18-24 years) |Adults (25+)
Contact Information Center UCSF Prevention Research Center 3333 California Street, Suite 1300 San Francisco, CA 94143
Principal Investigator and PRC Director Marguerita Lightfoot Phone: 415-502-1000 ext. 17160 (vm only)