EMPOWERTelehealth Intervention to Improve PrEP Uptake in African American Women

This study aims to help African American women in the southern United States make informed choices about preventing HIV by testing a new telehealth program called EMPOWER. This program builds upon an existing approach, POWER, which focuses on improving emotional well-being and relationships through mindfulness and cognitive behavioral therapy techniques. The goal is to increase the use and continuation of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), a medication that helps prevent HIV, among Black women. This is important because it could lead to better health outcomes and empower women to take charge of their sexual health. Participants will be part of a randomized trial where they will be divided into groups and receive the EMPOWER intervention over six sessions. This will be done through a crossover design, meaning some participants will start with the intervention, while others will begin with the usual care and later receive the intervention. The study will measure how many women start and continue using PrEP by checking levels of the medication in their blood at the start, after three months, and after six months. The study will also evaluate how feasible, acceptable, and user-friendly the intervention is compared to the standard care, which is an opt-out PrEP offering at the study site.