Public Health Response to Clusters of Rapid HIV Transmission Among Hispanic or Latino Gay, Bisexual, and Other Men Who Have Sex with Men — Metropolitan Atlanta, Georgia, 2021–2022
Carlos Saldana, David Philpott, Daniel E. Mauck, Rebecca B. Hershow, Eleanor Garlow, Jenna R. Gettings, Dorian Freeman, Anne Marie France, Erica Johnson, Ajmal Agha, Dena Elimam, Karrie Reed, Alana Sulka, Jose F. Adame, Jonny F. Andía, Mariana Gutiérrez, Mabel T. Padilla, Nathalie Gonzalez Jimenez, Craig Hayes, R. Paul McClung, Valeria D Cantos, David P. Holland, Jane Yoon, Alexandra M. Oster, Kathryn Curran, Rashida Hassan, Pascale Wortley
Abstract
medical chart reviews, and qualitative interviews with service providers and Hispanic MSM community members. By June 2022, these clusters included 75 persons, including 56% who identified as Hispanic, 96% who reported male sex at birth, 81% who reported male-to-male sexual contact, and 84% of whom resided in the four metropolitan Atlanta counties. Qualitative interviews identified barriers to accessing HIV prevention and care services, including language barriers, immigration- and deportation-related concerns, and cultural norms regarding sexuality-related stigma. GDPH and the health districts expanded coordination, initiated culturally concordant HIV prevention marketing and educational activities, developed partnerships with organizations serving Hispanic communities to enhance outreach and services, and obtained funding for a bilingual patient navigation program with academic partners to provide staff members to help persons overcome barriers and understand the health care system. HIV molecular cluster detection can identify rapid HIV transmission among sexual networks involving ethnic and sexual minority groups, draw attention to the needs of affected populations, and advance health equity through tailored responses that address those needs.