Assessing Perceptions and Preferences Around Long-acting Injectables (APPLI)

The Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program is an essential platform for reducing health disparities among people with HIV and scaling up evidence-based strategies to strengthen the HIV care continuum. The investigators propose an implementation-science study based in New York Ryan White Part A programs, to inform the delivery of long-acting injectable antiretroviral therapy and related supportive services to low-income, largely Black and Latino/a people with HIV who have struggled with daily oral antiretroviral therapy adherence. As a major biomedical advance de-necessitating adherence to daily dosing, long-acting injectable antiretroviral therapy could greatly increase opportunities for health, survival and transmission prevention, particularly in populations confronting complex barriers to viral load suppression. However, optimizing the public health impact of long-acting injectable antiretroviral therapy will require implementation science to assess perceptions and preferences around long-acting injectable versus daily oral regimens, identify support services and delivery mechanisms suited to promoting long-acting injectable uptake and engagement, and address the role of provider beliefs as to which patients should be offered long-acting injectable options. In the absence of this groundwork, long-acting injectable antiretroviral therapy may primarily reach those who are already relatively advantaged, and even exacerbate HIV disparities.