HIV educational video content and presentation style preferences among English- and Spanish-speaking US sexual and gender minorities.

Sexual and gender minorities in the USA are disproportionately impacted by HIV, highlighting the need for tailored prevention and treatment interventions. Video-based tools have emerged as promising for disseminating HIV-related information due to their accessibility, scalability and cultural adaptability. However, there is limited research on video content and presentation style preferences, particularly among diverse sexual and gender minorities. This study explored video content and style preferences among English- and Spanish-speaking US sexual and gender minorities to inform the development of a bilingual HIV video-based educational intervention. Six focus groups (4 in English, 2 in Spanish) were conducted in Washington, DC. Thematic analysis was conducted using the Framework Method. The sample (n = 28) included 18 English- and 10 Spanish-speaking adults who ranged in age from 24 to 69 years. Participants largely identified as gay (70%) and as cisgender men (63%). Most were HIV-negative (55.5%), non-Latino/x/a (52%) and White (52%). Three overarching themes were identified: (1) simplify complex concepts, (2) align content delivery with modern media consumption norms; and (3) maximise relatability. Spanish-speaking participants recommended using widely understood Spanish to reach diverse Latino/x/a communities. Findings underscore the importance of cultural and linguistic diversity to ensure equitable health communication when developing video-based HIV educational interventions.