LaRon Nelson, PhD, RN, FAAN
Independence Foundation Professor of NursingCards
About
Research
Publications
2025
Formative evaluation of the acceptance of HIV prevention Artificial Intelligence chatbots by Black gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men in the Southern United States: Focus group study
Ndenkeh J, Aidoo-Frimpong G, Nelson L, Peng M, Balakrishnan V, Barnhart V, Davis B, Prayer J, Quamina A, Ni Z. Formative evaluation of the acceptance of HIV prevention Artificial Intelligence chatbots by Black gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men in the Southern United States: Focus group study. PLOS Digital Health 2025, 4: e0000891. PMID: 40465591, PMCID: PMC12136318, DOI: 10.1371/journal.pdig.0000891.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchBlack MSMPrEP uptakeDaily pre-exposure prophylaxisUptake of PrEPFrequent HIV testingHIV prevention interventionsUnited StatesFocus group discussionsPre-exposure prophylaxisHIV vulnerabilityFocus group studyBlack AmericansPrEP educationPrEP informationHIV testingHealthcare providersHIV preventionMedication adherenceLack of awarenessSouthern United StatesInterview transcriptsSocial influenceHealth awarenessGroup discussionsMSMLikelihood of Leveraging Augmented Reality Technology to Promote HIV Prevention and Treatment Among Adolescent Girls and Young Women in Cameroon: Cross-Sectional Survey
Ni Z, Batubara I, Ndenkeh J, Bediang G, Yumo H, Zhang X, Oh S, Zhao Y, Nelson L. Likelihood of Leveraging Augmented Reality Technology to Promote HIV Prevention and Treatment Among Adolescent Girls and Young Women in Cameroon: Cross-Sectional Survey. JMIR Pediatrics And Parenting 2025, 8: e69471. PMID: 40354617, PMCID: PMC12088605, DOI: 10.2196/69471.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchPromote HIV preventionHIV preventionCross-sectional surveySub-Saharan AfricaAdolescent girlsYoung womenDigital health interventionsDiagnosed HIV casesTreat HIVParticipants' median agePre-exposure prophylaxisHigher education levelHIV viral loadHealth appsHIV testingMultivariable ordinal regressionHealth interventionsHealth informationParticipants' knowledgePrevent HIVHIV casesElectronic surveyHIV medicationsEducation levelSnowball sampling techniqueStrengthening the US Health Workforce to End the HIV Epidemic: Lessons Learned From 11 EHE Jurisdictions
Marotta P, Humphries D, Escudero D, Katz D, Rosen J, Hill S, Glick J, Li D, Elopre L, Ghadimi F, Beidas R, Bauermeister J, Bonett S, Cameron D, Nelson L, Rajabiun S, Hearld L, Kermani M, Stoltman S, Payne D, Ibitayo T, Alam F, Williams A, Ott C, Kay E, Chrestman S, Batey S, Smith L, Lanzi R, Musgrove K, Malagon M, Bailey-Webb J, Momplaisir F, Gross R, Gross G, Kaser T, Brown T, Carter C, Mugavero M, Valeriano T, Shaw S, Wagner A, Atiba B, Brewer R. Strengthening the US Health Workforce to End the HIV Epidemic: Lessons Learned From 11 EHE Jurisdictions. JAIDS Journal Of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes 2025, 98: e181-e191. PMID: 40163070, DOI: 10.1097/qai.0000000000003625.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsImplementation of HIV preventionHIV preventionHealth workforceWorkforce developmentHIV epidemicTreatment servicesHealth workforce developmentCommunity-engaged researchCommunity engagement strategiesStrengthening organizational supportNational Institutes of HealthImplementation scienceInstitutes of HealthStigma mitigationSemistructured questionnaireDynamic trainingEngagement strategiesPrevent turnoverExpert recommendationsTreatment programsSupervision structuresChange frameworkHIVNational InstituteOrganizational supportHuman immunodeficiency virus vulnerability and pre-exposure prophylaxis awareness among adolescent girls and young women in Cameroon: A cross-sectional study
Oh S, Ndenkeh J, Ijeoma O, Conserve D, Nelson L, Batubara I, Bediang G, Yumo H, Ni Z. Human immunodeficiency virus vulnerability and pre-exposure prophylaxis awareness among adolescent girls and young women in Cameroon: A cross-sectional study. Interdisciplinary Nursing Research 2025, 4: 23-30. DOI: 10.1097/nr9.0000000000000086.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchPrEP awarenessHIV vulnerabilityPre-exposure prophylaxis awarenessEducation levelLow PrEP awarenessKnowledge of PrEPAwareness of PrEPPositive STI diagnosisLow educational levelCross-sectional surveyHigher education levelCross-sectional studyVulnerability to HIVLogistic regression modelsSTI diagnosisHIV testingAGYWTargeted interventionsHIVPrEPYoung womenAdolescent girlsRegression modelsAwarenessSexual orientationExamining Experiences of Gender Identities, Roles, and Relations among Men with Same-Gender Sexual Histories: Implications of Gender Nonconformity on Access to Quality Healthcare in Urban Ghana
Apreku A, Abu-Ba’are G, Dada D, Foster M, Stockton M, Aidoo-Frimpong G, Kuffour O, Adjei G, Manu A, Torpey K, Nyblade L, Nelson L, Logie C. Examining Experiences of Gender Identities, Roles, and Relations among Men with Same-Gender Sexual Histories: Implications of Gender Nonconformity on Access to Quality Healthcare in Urban Ghana. Journal Of Urban Health 2025, 102: 413-422. PMID: 40113725, PMCID: PMC12031717, DOI: 10.1007/s11524-025-00964-1.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsExperiences of gender identityGender nonconformityGender identityGender rolesDaily urban lifeDay-to-day interactionsGhanaian MSMGender expectationsUrban GhanaSevere health disparitiesIntersectional stigmaUrban lifeAdult MSMGhanaUrban centersHealth disparitiesRisk of HIV acquisitionQuality health careIncreased risk of HIV acquisitionInfluence of genderCommunity responsesQualitative content analysisSecondary dataWell-beingGenderRacial disparities in HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) awareness and uptake among white, Black, and Indigenous men in Canada: Analysis of data from the I’m Ready national HIV self-testing study
Ajiboye W, Tharao W, Owino M, Soje L, Tian J, Ly A, Piyesis M, McLeod A, Fleury M, McBain K, Massaquoi N, Mosugu T, Swidrovich J, Tan D, Nelson L, Rourke S. Racial disparities in HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) awareness and uptake among white, Black, and Indigenous men in Canada: Analysis of data from the I’m Ready national HIV self-testing study. Canadian Journal Of Public Health 2025, 116: 243-253. PMID: 40106208, PMCID: PMC12075050, DOI: 10.17269/s41997-025-01009-5.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsPrEP awarenessPrEP eligibilityWhite participantsPrEP cascadeIndigenous menFunded health care systemHIV pre-exposure prophylaxisIncrease PrEP awarenessRural communitiesRacial differencesHealth care systemPublic health interventionsAssess racial differencesPre-exposure prophylaxisBinary logistic regressionCross-sectional dataPrEP carePrEP uptakeHealth interventionsCare systemDisproportionate burdenRacial disparitiesBlack participantsSecondary analysisPrEP
2024
Barriers and Facilitators to Vaccine Equity Amidst the COVID-19 Vaccine Rollout in the United States
Piltch-Loeb R, Sahr J, Nelson L, Vlahov D, Gershon R. Barriers and Facilitators to Vaccine Equity Amidst the COVID-19 Vaccine Rollout in the United States. International Journal Of Environmental Research And Public Health 2024, 21: 1588. PMID: 39767429, PMCID: PMC11675886, DOI: 10.3390/ijerph21121588.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchHealth departmentsLocal health departmentsPurposive sampling strategyAt-risk populationsHard-to-reachPotential facilitatorsCommunity outreachQualitative studyLack of clarityAdvisory GroupCommunity engagementCommunity membersDisaster response effortsHolding leadership rolesIncrease equityLeadership rolesCOVID-19Vaccine rolloutMid-2022COVID-19 vaccine rolloutCommunity relationshipsFacilitationResponse effortsEquitable distributionPrioritization criteriaDecision Support Tool to Improve Decision-Making for HIV Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP): Development Process and Alpha Testing
Ajiboye W, Yusuf A, Pedersen C, Brown R, Dzonsons K, Nelson L. Decision Support Tool to Improve Decision-Making for HIV Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP): Development Process and Alpha Testing. JMIR Formative Research 2024, 8: e57348. PMID: 39393055, PMCID: PMC11512116, DOI: 10.2196/57348.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchDevelopment and feasibility of the peer and nurse-led HIV Self-Testing Education and Promotion (STEP) intervention among social networks of men in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania: application of the ADAPT-ITT model
Conserve D, Abu-Ba’are G, Janson S, Mhando F, Munisi G, Drezgic B, Rehani A, Sims W, Ritchwood T, Choko A, Mushy S, Johnson C, Jennings Mayo-Wilson L, Komba A, Urasa P, Nelson L, Mbita G. Development and feasibility of the peer and nurse-led HIV Self-Testing Education and Promotion (STEP) intervention among social networks of men in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania: application of the ADAPT-ITT model. BMC Health Services Research 2024, 24: 1166. PMID: 39358728, PMCID: PMC11445879, DOI: 10.1186/s12913-024-11586-9.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsHIV self-testingFollow-up servicesADAPT-ITT modelHealthcare facilitiesADAPT-ITTPeer educatorsPromote HIV self-testingHIV self-test kitsDistribution of HIVST kitsTanzania HIV Impact SurveyIncrease HIV testingImplementation science projectSocial networks of menFollow-up surveyNational testing strategySelf-test resultsHIV testingHIVST kitsSelf-testingCommunity settingsMethodsThe developmentHIV statusDar es SalaamImpact SurveyNetworks of menEthnic identity and social support as mediators between childhood sexual abuse and depression among black men who have sex with men
Boyd D, Jones K, Quinn C, Hill M, Nelson L, Beauchamp G, Emel L, Hightow-Weidman L, Shoptaw S, Magnus M, Piwowar-Manning E, Mayer K, Fields S, Wheeler D, Dyer T, Wilton L. Ethnic identity and social support as mediators between childhood sexual abuse and depression among black men who have sex with men. Child Abuse & Neglect 2024, 157: 107064. PMID: 39303435, DOI: 10.1016/j.chiabu.2024.107064.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchChildhood sexual abuseEthnic identityBlack MSMSexual abuseEarly sexual debutSexual debutIndirect effects of childhood sexual abuseSocial supportDepressive symptomsEffects of childhood sexual abuseHistory of incarcerationSurvivors of childhood sexual abuseMental health effectsMediation of depressive symptomsAdverse mental health effectsLife trajectoriesIncarcerationNegatively associated with depressive symptomsUS citiesBlack menCSA experiencesAbuseMSMPreexposure prophylaxisIdentity