"It will make it easier for us to live better"

Abstract

Long-acting injectable ART (LAI-ART) may mitigate barriers to ART adherence, but research is needed to optimize LAI-ART for Spanish-speaking people with HIV (PWH). As part of a larger multi-site qualitative study, we conducted 20 semistructured interviews with monolingual Spanish-speaking PWH at a Ryan White-funded academic HIV clinic. Transcripts were analyzed in Spanish using thematic analysis. The median age of participants was 47 years (range 25-68), 30% were cis women, 10% were trans women, and all were born in Latin America. Three themes emerged: (1) injection familiarity as a mediator of LAI-ART acceptability, (2) concerns about the compatibility of LAI-ART with one's body, and (3) concerns that use of LAI-ART could impact the ability to return to one's country of origin. Monolingual Spanish-speaking PWH demonstrated substantial interest in LAI-ART. Provider awareness of patients' preferences, beliefs, and migration considerations can help empower patients to make informed decisions about their HIV care.