Assessing the State of Published HIV Research Concerning Sexual Minority Women: A Global English Language Scoping Review.

PURPOSE: We conducted a scoping review to map peer-reviewed literature on HIV research concerning sexual minority women (SMW).

METHODS

Following guidance from Arksey and O'Malley's framework and the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews, we searched PubMed, Embase, PsycInfo, Sociological Abstracts, and CINAHL from inception through May 2023. Eligible studies were English language, peer-reviewed studies, containing disaggregated HIV-related data on SMW. Studies were systematically screened, and relevant data were extracted and then summarized.

RESULTS

Our search identified 7615 studies; 187 met eligibility requirements. Most studies were quantitative (82%), cross-sectional (74%), used survey data (80%) obtained via convenience sampling (61%), and conducted in the United States (65%). Annual publications increased over time. Overwhelmingly, studies did not report engaging the community in the research process (93%). Demographic reporting in studies varied; about half reported age (52%) and race (52%), two-thirds reported sexual orientation (68%), and only 25% focused exclusively on SMW. Diverse HIV-related findings were addressed: sexual risk behaviors (64%), HIV testing, prevalence, and risk perception (47%), substance use (43%), sexually transmitted infections (29%), health care access (21%), intimate partner violence (17%), mental health (15%), stigma (10%), and incarceration (9%).

CONCLUSIONS

Our review highlights key methodological and topical gaps. Future SMW HIV research guidance includes focusing on structural-level factors and biomedical interventions; researching understudied regions highly impacted by HIV; including qualitative and quantitative approaches; establishing standardized procedural and reporting guidelines; and increasing research and practice resources to focus on SMW's unique HIV-related health strengths and vulnerabilities.