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A Rapid Environmental Scan of South Florida HIV Organizations’ Mpox Messaging During the August 2022 Peak of the U.S. Outbreak

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Abstract

The 2022 outbreak of mpox disproportionately impacted men who have sex with men and people living with HIV. As such, HIV organizations were uniquely situated to reach populations affected by mpox. However, the extent to which these organizations pivoted to address mpox, and what form mpox messaging took, is unknown. We conducted a rapid environmental scan of 29 HIV or sexual health organizations to assess the frequency and content of mpox messaging in August 2022, the peak of the mpox outbreak in Miami, FL. Approximately half of the organizations provided mpox messaging, most of which was accurate. Only 5% of the messages were in Spanish and 4% in Spanish and Haitian Creole. Our findings suggest HIV organizations’ pivot to mpox messaging may have been delayed overall and in reaching Spanish- and Haitian Creole-speaking communities. Results could inform modifications to mpox messaging campaigns and future outbreaks that disproportionately affect minoritized communities.

Resumen

El brote de la viruela del mono en 2022 afectó desproporcionadamente a hombres que tienen relaciones sexuales con hombres y personas que viven con el VIH. Como tal, las organizaciones dedicadas al VIH estaban en una posición única para llegar a las poblaciones afectadas por la viruela del mono. Sin embargo, no se sabe en qué medida estas organizaciones cambiaron su enfoque para abordar la viruela del mono y qué forma tomó la mensajería sobre a la viruela del mono. Realizamos un escaneo ambiental rápido de 29 organizaciones de VIH o salud sexual para evaluar la frecuencia y el contenido de la mensajería sobre la viruela del mono en agosto de 2022, en el pico del brote de la viruela del mono en Miami, Florida. Aproximadamente la mitad de las organizaciones proporcionaron mensajería sobre la viruela del mono, la mayoría de la cual era precisa. Solo el 5% de los mensajes estaban en español y el 4% en español y criollo haitiano. Nuestros hallazgos sugieren que el cambio de enfoque de las organizaciones de VIH hacia la mensajería sobre la viruela del mono puede haber sido en general demorado y que no llegó adecuadamente a las comunidades de habla hispana y criollo haitiano. Los resultados podrían informar modificaciones en las campañas de mensajería sobre la viruela del mono y en futuros brotes que afecten desproporcionadamente a comunidades minorizadas.

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Acknowledgements

Research reported in this publication was supported by the National Institute On Minority Health And Health Disparities of the National Institutes of Health under Award Number K23MD015690. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health. We would also like to express our gratitude the members of the Community Advisory Board including Edward Kring, Hans Schenk and Eddie Orozco for comments on the discussion that greatly improved the manuscript.

Funding

National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities, (Grant no. K23MD015690).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Medicine, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA

    Pranusha Atuluru & Susanne Doblecki-Lewis

  2. Department of Psychology, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL, USA

    Elliott R. Weinstein & Audrey Harkness

  3. Department of Biological Science, Florida International University, Miami, FL, USA

    Lorenzo P. Serrano

  4. School of Nursing and Health Studies, University of Miami, 5030 Brunson Drive, Coral Gables, Miami, FL, 33146, USA

    Audrey Harkness

  5. Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI, USA

    Brooke G. Rogers

  6. Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI, USA

    Brooke G. Rogers

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  1. Pranusha Atuluru
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Correspondence to Audrey Harkness.

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Atuluru, P., Weinstein, E.R., Serrano, L.P. et al. A Rapid Environmental Scan of South Florida HIV Organizations’ Mpox Messaging During the August 2022 Peak of the U.S. Outbreak. AIDS Behav 28, 1546–1558 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10461-023-04176-z

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