Lessons from COVID-19 for Sexually Transmitted Infections

In 2020, TCC Group partnered with Aids Healthcare Foundation (AHF)’s Division of Public Health to design, recruit for, and evaluate a qualitative research study to explore the knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors surrounding sexual health, the factors that contribute to how they are formed, and levers, messages, messengers that inform and affirm.

The study involved interviewing sexually active young people (aged 18-24) in the demographics groups disproportionately impacted by HIV (Black and Latinx MSM, Black/Latinx Transgender Women, and Black Cisgender Women) and sexual health providers to glean insights into how to better deliver and package sexual health messaging to young people. Scheduled to begin in early 2020, the onset of Covid-19 and seismic world shift that accompanied it meant a sudden opportunity to pivot in our research plan. Our responsive approach to change during lockdown allowed our cross-functional team to deliver exceptional results despite the challenging circumstances, demonstrating our agile collaboration methods. TCC developed this research article as a core component of this engagement.