Visualizing Pathways to HIV Prevention for Black Women in Orange County, Florida: A Concept Mapping Study

The National HIV/AIDS Strategy identifies Black cisgender women as a key population for HIV prevention, while the Ending the HIV Epidemic initiative names Orange County, Florida, as a priority jurisdiction. Although Black cisgender women are overrepresented among new HIV diagnoses, they are underrepresented among recipients of PrEP services. The simultaneous and overlapping racial and gender identities of Black cisgender women have historically placed them in a precarious position when seeking healthcare, including sexual health information and services. In an effort to dismantle this complex form of systemic racism, our interdisciplinary team conducted a community engaged research project using group concept mapping to visualize methods of facilitating comprehensive HIV prevention for Black cisgender women in Orange County, Florida with specific actionable steps for healthcare providers and community stakeholders. Community stakeholders attended nine stakeholder meetings, during which they generated, sorted, and rated 79 statements in response to the prompt How can everyone in Central Florida improve Black women's sexual health, create satisfying healthcare experiences for them, and enhance HIV prevention services? Using multi-dimensional scaling and hierarchical cluster analyses, we generated a concept map with nine clusters which was discussed with community stakeholders to develop a plan for advancing HIV prevention among Black women in Orange County, Florida.