A Qualitative Study of Black and Latine HIV Care Consumers’ Perceptions of Providers’ Behaviors, Medical Mistrust, and Experiences of Discrimination

Black and Latine Americans face the highest HIV burden among U.S. racial and ethnic groups, exacerbated by intersectional stigma and medical mistrust. We conducted 21 interviews with Black and Latine HIV care consumers between November–December 2021, investigating their views on medical mistrust and experiences of stigma. Key drivers of mistrust included perceptions of providers not prioritizing patient interests, perceived dishonesty, and doubts about their competence. In addition, participants highlighted a lack of individualized care, no partnership in decision making, insufficient follow-up, and overall institutional mistrust. Participants felt judged based on their HIV status and observed race and ethnicity-based disparities in care outcomes. In response to mistrust, they either switched providers or self-advocated. These insights may guide the creation of interventions to tackle medical mistrust among providers.