Project dates: January 2022 - June 2023
Progress gained in combating the ongoing HIV epidemic is threatened by a resurgence of stimulant use among men who have sex with men (MSM), especially among Latinx MSM. Substance use treatment has been shown to improve HIV care-related outcomes among people who use drugs, including stimulants. However, limited research has examined substance use treatment utilization among Latinx men who have sex with men (MSM), a group disproportionately, and increasingly, impacted by the intertwining stimulant and HIV epidemics.
The project examined and contextualized past-year substance use treatment utilization among a national sample of Latinx who use stimulants and are living with HIV (HIV+ SUMSM) who have and have not (unmet treatment need) engaged in recent substance use treatment. It also explored the geographic distribution of past-year substance use treatment utilization and unmet substance use treatment need among Latinx HIV+SUMSM. Data were paired with archival geographic measures to characterize areas of high unmet treatment need.
Because intersectional stigma is a fundamental driver of health inequities, the study examined the associations between intersectional stigma, resilience, and psychosocial correlates (e.g., acculturation, polysubstance use, community substance use norms) with past-year substance use treatment utilization and unmet substance use treatment. Findings from this study will support the geolocation of stigma-reduction and empowerment-based health interventions.