Challenges related to COVID‐19
Community Navigators reported that the COVID‐19 pandemic hindered implementation and impacted Community Navigators in various ways. Because of the need for physical distancing, social media became the primary way the Community Navigators communicated with their social network members. Through social media Community Navigators maintained contact with their social networks, but Community Navigators expressed that members of their social networks felt isolated from one another. The connectedness Community Navigators fostered within their social network groups was reduced by the pandemic. In‐person interactions were postponed, and the closeness and ‘spirit’ or morale of the groups were negatively affected. Furthermore, Community Navigators faced additional challenges teaching social network members about certain sexual health topics such as how to correctly use condoms when they could not carry out these activities in person. However, Community Navigators were resilient and adapted quickly to utilizing social media to continue to maintain relationships with participants and engage and teach them.