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Examining Migration, Social Bonds, Transnationalism, and HIV Prevention Pathways Among African Immigrants
Medrxiv : the Preprint Server for Health Sciences
|June 5, 2026
Summary
African immigrants face higher HIV rates due to migration’s impact on relationships. This study develops tailored HIV prevention strategies by examining how migration reshapes social contexts and influences engagement with testing and PrEP.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Sociology
- Migration Studies
Background:
- African immigrants in the U.S. experience disproportionately high HIV rates, approximately sixfold higher than the general population.
- HIV vulnerability is influenced by restructured relationship and family systems due to migration, affecting household dynamics, gender norms, trust, and communication.
- Migration's transformative effect on relational contexts shaping engagement with HIV testing, HIV self-testing (HIVST), and pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) remains under-researched.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine how migration reshapes relational contexts influencing HIV prevention decision-making among African immigrants.
- To develop culturally grounded, relationship-tailored HIV prevention strategies.
- To inform the design of future, larger-scale intervention studies.
Main Methods:
- A sequential mixed-methods, community-based pilot design among first-generation African immigrant adults (ages 18-50) in New York and Massachusetts.
- Phase 1: Semi-structured interviews (n=15) and surveys (n=75) to identify relationship typologies and migration-related mechanisms.
- Phase 2: Palava Hut Conversations (PHC) (n=30) to co-develop intervention components.
- Phase 3: Proof-of-concept assessment (n=24) of prioritized components via pre-post design, surveys, and cognitive interviews.
Main Results:
- The study protocol outlines a planned evaluation of a sequentially designed, community-engaged pilot study.
- Findings will provide insights into the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary evidence of mechanism activation for tailored HIV prevention components.
- The study aims to identify relationship typologies and migration-related mechanisms influencing HIV prevention engagement.
Conclusions:
- This pilot study will inform the development of culturally grounded, relationship-tailored prevention strategies for African immigrants.
- Findings will guide the design of a future, larger-scale intervention study to address the disproportionate HIV burden in this population.
- Understanding migration's impact on relational contexts is crucial for effective HIV prevention engagement.
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