. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2022 Mar 1.

Published in final edited form as: AIDS Behav. 2021 Mar;25(3):667–678. doi: 10.1007/s10461-020-03023-9

Table II:

Participants’ statements regarding the acceptability and feasibility of LAI PrEP

Theme	Impact	Quote
Perceived risk of acquiring HIV	Barrier	“I don’t need to take PrEP. I have abstinence tolerance and, I’m not involved with none of the other shenanigans. I ain’t trying to catch that. So, I don’t need to take PrEP to prevent it [HIV]. It’s prevented already by Jesus.” (Other race, 45, Chicago).
Perceived risk of acquiring HIV	Barrier	“Ever since I was growing up. I don’t pop pills and I don’t do injections. So I only take the medicines that my doctor prescribe, not no other doctor. And if my doctor even ask me about that one I probably wouldn’t deal with needles still.” (Black, 41, San Francisco)
Medical mistrust	Barrier	“Let’s say we’ve been doing this. We’ve been taking the injections and 10 years from now I have HIV, and it wasn’t because I missed a shot or I missed a pill. It just didn’t work. And then how would you handle somebody going through that mentally after they trusted this process?” (Black, 54, San Francisco)
Fears of injection-related side effects	Barrier	“I don’t like it [getting injections]. It wasn’t good. So, I’m not going to inject anything into my body that necessarily doesn’t have to be there. That’s why I don’t take the flu shot” (Black, 56, D.C.)
Fears of injection-related side effects	Barrier	“Well, I really didn’t like the pain, you know, so if I really concentrate on the pain, I wouldn’t take the shots if I really concentrate on how bad they hurt, especially in the stomach.” (Black, 57, Chapel Hill)
Administration location	Barrier	“Not in the butt. I don’t want them messing with my butt over there. It’s not-- it don’t feel the same. If I can get it in my arm, yeah.” (Black, 44, San Francisco)
Administration location	Barrier	“I think I wouldn’t want the shot. Because I mean one in each butt cheek, it’s going to be kind of hard to sit down. I would rather take the pills if I had to.” (Black, 53, Atlanta)
Where and how to access LAI	Barrier	“Transportation, mostly transportation. And certain areas in Atlanta that you go in might not want to go in there.” (Black, 46, Atlanta).
Where and how to access LAI	Facilitator	“I think it would be good if it’s in a doctor’s office, less conspicuous [than a pharmacy]. Like, if you say, I’m going to this Walgreens and getting this shot. Okay, what are you getting that shot for? It’s not a clinic. I think a doctor’s office is most conventional and less conspicuous” (Mixed, 62, Chicago)
Shots are more effective than pills	Facilitator	“I mean, you know it’s in your system, so you wouldn’t have to worry for at least a month or two, before you get your next shot, because it’s already in your system to block whatever supposed to stop you from getting HIV.” (Black, 56, D.C.)
Ease and convenience	Facilitator	“It lasts longer than the pill. The pill you got to take every day. The injection you only have to take every two months.” (Mixed, 65, Bronx)
Ease and convenience	Facilitator	“I might forget to take the pill, and then I might have myself at risk if I want to have sex that day, and I don’t have the pill in me” (Black, 56, D.C.)
Confidentiality of shots	Facilitator	“Maybe they’re dating someone, and someone sees a bottle of pills in their purse and they’re like, “What’s that for?” You’re at risk? Now you’re taking these pills.” And so, I can see that being an issue of carrying around a bottle of medicine.” (Black, 49, D.C.).
Confidentiality of shots	Facilitator	“That’s about it: that it won’t be really known. You don’t have to tell your partner that you’re trying to protect yourself, if you have a relationship and it’s not open-open, where you all can sit at the table and talk about any and everything. You know.” (Black, 45, Chicago)