Examining Faith-Based HIV Prevention Interventions in the United States: A Scoping Review

Faith-based health promotion is a promising approach for delivering tailored and culturally salient HIV prevention programs in the United States. However, since approval of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) in 2012, no review of faith-based HIV prevention interventions has been published in the peer-reviewed literature. This review aims to synthesize literature describing HIV prevention interventions housed in faith communities in the US, with a focus on examining inclusion of PrEP-related content. Synthesis of literature was conducted following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis scoping review extension. Databases reviewed included PubMed, Sociological Abstracts, PsycINFO, and Cumulative Index of Nursing. Two independent reviewers screened studies, determined inclusion, and extracted relevant data based on the Reach, Effectiveness, Adoption, Implementation, Maintenance framework for intervention planning/evaluation. In total, 16 studies met inclusion criteria and were included in the review. All identified faith-based HIV prevention interventions were implemented by Christian organizations. Interventions primarily focused on abstinence, reducing substance use, reducing stigma, and promoting HIV testing. Very few included studies had meaningful content related to PrEP. Partnerships with faith communities often involved interventions being designed, housed, and evaluated within their specific religious organizations. This review discusses the significance and challenges of implementing HIV prevention interventions in partnership with faith communities and highlights existing gaps in faith-based PrEP promotion programming in the US. Findings show opportunities to broaden involvement of diverse faith organizations in HIV prevention intervention efforts and to scale up inclusion of PrEP-focused education and services.