JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

Transgender Latina women in the U.S. are disproportionately affected by HIV due to intersecting social and structural vulnerabilities that increase both risk of transmission and barriers to care. Although gender-affirming, culturally responsive services and eHealth strategies offer promise for improving access to HIV-related services, social media-based approaches remain underutilized. While there are community-based organizations (CBOs) that offer bilingual and culturally responsive HIV-related services for Latino LGBTQ+ communities, awareness of these resources can be limited.

Objective:

This study aimed to develop and pilot a culturally tailored social media campaign to increase awareness of culturally relevant HIV prevention and care services offered by a CBO in King County, WA for transgender Latina women. We assessed the campaign’s feasibility and acceptability.

Methods:

Using a multi-phase, community-engaged design, phase 1 involved conducting in-depth interviews (n=20) with transgender Latina women recruited through the CBO to identify priorities and preferences related to the social media campaign. Guided by the Unified Theory of Behavior, interview findings informed the development of six draft campaign concepts, which were refined through a focus group conducted with seven transgender Latina women. In phase 2, the finalized campaign was piloted on Facebook and Instagram. A REDCap survey with a subset of transgender Latina women who viewed the campaign (n=100) assessed campaign reach, participant demographics, and perceptions of feasibility and acceptability. Descriptive analyses were conducted.

Results:

In-depth interviews (n=20) revealed four key themes that guided the development of the campaign: (1) importance of HIV prevention and awareness; (2) accessibility of HIV services; (3) provision of culturally tailored care; and (4) need for confidentiality. The focus group reviewed six draft campaign concepts and recommended incorporating personal stories, cultural references, and messages centered on empowerment and community. Six focus group participants joined the project team to co-create campaign content. The finalized campaign was launched on Facebook and Instagram, and a REDCap survey was completed by 100 transgender Latina women who engaged with the campaign (mean age: 29.7). Most survey respondents (97%) had previously been tested for HIV, with 44% reporting a test within the past six months. Three respondents reported living with HIV, all of whom were on antiretroviral therapy. Nearly all participants (91%) indicated that the campaign motivated them to take some form of action, such as getting tested or seeking additional information or services.

Conclusions:

This study demonstrates the feasibility and acceptability of a culturally tailored social media campaign to promote HIV prevention and care among transgender Latina women. The participatory development process strengthened the campaign’s cultural relevance and resonance. Findings highlight variations in social media use, access to digital surveys, and levels of engagement with HIV-related services across subgroups of transgender Latina women. These results underscore the importance of recognizing and addressing heterogeneity within this population when designing and implementing digital outreach strategies for HIV prevention.