NOVEL APPROACHES TO HIV PREVENTION AND SEXUAL HEALTH PROMOTION AMONG GUATEMALAN GAY AND BISEXUAL MEN, MSM, AND TRANSGENDER PERSONS

The burden of HIV is disproportionate for Guatemalan sexual minorities (e.g., gay and bisexual men, men who have sex with men [MSM], and transgender persons). Our bi-national partnership used authentic approaches to community-based participatory research (CBPR) to identify characteristics of potentially successful programs to prevent HIV and promote sexual health among Guatemalan sexual minorities. Our partnership conducted Spanish-language focus groups with 87 participants who self-identified as male (n = 64) or transgender (n = 23) and individual in-depth interviews with ten formal and informal gay community leaders. Using constant comparison, an approach to grounded theory, we identified 20 characteristics of potentially successful programs to reduce HIV risk, including providing guidance on accessing limited resources; offering supportive dialogue around issues of masculinity, socio-cultural expectations, love, and intimacy; using Mayan values and images; harnessing technology; increasing leadership and advocacy skills; and mobilizing social networks. More research is clearly needed, but participants reported needing and wanting programming and had innovative ideas to prevent HIV exposure and transmission. Guatemala has a rapidly accelerating HIV epidemic. Although prevalence estimates are imprecise because of a lack of testing resources, low rates of testing among individuals, and poor reporting and surveillance (Barczyk, Garcia, & Casabona, 2010; Cohen, 2006), the national prevalence is estimated to be about 1% (range: