Abstract: Currently there is a disconnect between the funding and research priorities of the autism community and the funding priorities and decisions made by government and other funding agencies. Little work has been done to evaluate the priorities of autistic adults, and the voices of female and nonbinary people have been particularly under-represented. Considering these experiences and priorities when developing new research is critical. The goal of this study is to understand the research priorities of a sample of autistic adults, with an overrepresentation of female and nonbinary participants. Participants included 52 autistic adults (29 female, 12 nonbinary, 11 male) ranging from 16 to 70 years old. Participants were asked to rank the seven research questions included in the Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee Strategic Plan (IACC). Additionally, participants were asked to respond to the free-response question, “What topics do you think should be investigated by researchers?”. High-ranked IACC priorities, such as services and supports, were reflected in the written priorities of participants. A content analysis of free-response answers revealed that participants were most interested in seeing research related to “Inclusivity”, “Autism Phenotype”, “Services/Supports”, “Co-Occurring Conditions”, “Recognition/Diagnosis”, “Training/Education”, and “Treatments/Interventions”. While written research priorities overlapped to some degree with the current strategic plan questions, participants placed more of an emphasis on autism acceptance, support and services, and lifespan issues. Our results align with those of previous studies surveying autistic adults and contribute to the scaffolding of future research questions that best reflect the values and priorities of the autistic community. Importantly, the oversampling of female and nonbinary adults in the current study provided insight into priorities that may not emerge from typical predominantly male sample, such as an earlier identification of females, eating disorders, and knowing how autism presents in female and nonbinary people.

Abstract: Oral fluid-based HIV self-testing (HIVST) has emerged as a promising approach to increasing HIV testing coverage, particularly among high-risk populations. Understanding the experiences of women using self-tests and offering them to their sexual partners (secondary-distribution) is crucial for determining the potential of HIVST. Qualitative in-depth interviews were conducted among 32 women at high-risk of HIV infection, including women who engage in transactional sex, who participated in a cluster randomized trial of a secondary-distribution strategy in western Kenya. Interviews explored how women used self-tests within relationships and how this affected their sexual decision-making. Three key themes emerged: women used HIVST to assess risk prior to engaging in sex with partners; HIVST provided women with increased agency to engage in or end relationships, and; women appreciated these benefits and urged expanded access to self-test kits. HIVST has the potential to support HIV prevention objectives in settings with high prevalence of HIV.