scholarly journals Risk perception, safer sex practices and PrEP enthusiasm: barriers and facilitators to oral HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis in Black African and Black Caribbean women in the UK

2020 ◽  
Vol 96 (5) ◽  
pp. 349-354 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah E Nakasone ◽  
Ingrid Young ◽  
Claudia S Estcourt ◽  
Josina Calliste ◽  
Paul Flowers ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Hiv Prevention ◽  
Sexual Health ◽  
Health Knowledge ◽  
Safer Sex ◽  
Black African ◽  
Caribbean Women ◽  
Black Caribbean ◽  
African Black ◽  
Exposure Prophylaxis ◽  
Sexual Health Knowledge

ObjectivesUK Black African/Black Caribbean women remain disproportionately affected by HIV. Although oral pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) could offer them an effective HIV prevention method, uptake remains limited. This study examined barriers and facilitators to PrEP awareness and candidacy perceptions for Black African/Black Caribbean women to help inform PrEP programmes and service development.MethodsUsing purposive sampling through community organisations, 32 in-depth, semi-structured interviews were conducted with Black African/Black Caribbean women living in London and Glasgow between June and August 2018. Participants (aged 19–63) included women of varied HIV statuses to explore perceptions of sexual risk and safer sex, sexual health knowledge and PrEP attitudes. A thematic analysis guided by the Social Ecological Model was used to explore how PrEP perceptions intersected with wider safer sex understandings and practices.ResultsFour key levels of influence shaping safer sex notions and PrEP candidacy perceptions emerged: personal, interpersonal, perceived environment and policy. PrEP-specific knowledge was low and some expressed distrust in PrEP. Many women were enthusiastic about PrEP for others but did not situate PrEP within their own safer sex understandings, sometimes due to difficulty assessing their own HIV risk. Many felt that PrEP could undermine intimacy in their relationships by disrupting the shared responsibility implicit within other HIV prevention methods. Women described extensive interpersonal networks that supported their sexual health knowledge and shaped their interactions with health services, though these networks were influenced by prevailing community stigmas.ConclusionsDifficulty situating PrEP within existing safer sex beliefs contributes to limited perceptions of personal PrEP candidacy. To increase PrEP uptake in UK Black African/Black Caribbean women, interventions will need to enable women to advance their knowledge of PrEP within the broader context of their sexual health and relationships. PrEP service models will need to include trusted ‘non-sexual health-specific’ community services such as general practice.

scholarly journals Sexual health knowledge and behaviours in International MSM Students in Australia

2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (Supplement_5) ◽  
Author(s):  
D Demant ◽  
M Kang ◽  
B Saliba
Keyword(s):  
Health Services ◽  
Sexual Health ◽  
Condom Use ◽  
Health Knowledge ◽  
Health Services Use ◽  
Inconsistent Condom ◽  
Lgbt Community ◽  
Exposure Prophylaxis ◽  
Sexual Health Knowledge ◽  
Services Use

Abstract Background International sexual minority students, particularly men who have sex with men (MSM), experience disparities in health, including a significantly higher prevalence of HIV and other STIs and lower levels of sexual health services use. Limited research has been conducted in this population around sexual health knowledge, behaviour and services use. Methods A multi-language cross-sectional online survey was completed by 168 international MSM tertiary students (median age: 25 years) in New South Wales (Australia). Variables included demographics, sexual identity and behaviour, sexual health knowledge and behaviour including PrEP use as well as sexual health services use. Descriptive and correlational analyses, and binary logistic regressions were conducted. Results Sexual health knowledge including routes of HIV transmission was overall high in the sample, while 20% had limited knowledge regarding pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and 28% regarding post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP). Less than half (44%) reported inconsistent condom use. PrEP use was low in the sample (14%) and not correlated with condom use. Sexual health behaviours and dimensions LGBT Community connectedness were significantly correlated with the use of different sexual health services. Conclusions This first comprehensive study among international MSM tertiary students in Australia demonstrates a high level of inconsistent condom use and low levels of PrEP use as well as strong correlations between sexual health behaviour and HIV/STI testing, and connectedness with other sexual minority men. International MSM students do not feel included in the local LGBT Community but demonstrate a strong desire to be involved. Those included were more likely to use vital sexual health services. Key messages International MSM students are an emerging priority population for sexual health research and practice. Future health promotion campaigns should consider incorporating strong community building and connectedness elements.

Medical Student Sexual Health Knowledge Survey

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christina Warner ◽  
Samantha Carlson ◽  
Renee Crichlow ◽  
Michael W. Ross
Keyword(s):  
Medical Student ◽  
Sexual Health ◽  
Health Knowledge ◽  
Knowledge Survey ◽  
Sexual Health Knowledge

scholarly journals Lessons Learned from Longer Acting Reversible Contraception Applied to Longer Acting HIV Prevention Technologies

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rachel Logan ◽  
Dominika Seidman
Keyword(s):  
Hiv Prevention ◽  
Reproductive Health ◽  
Sexual Health ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Reproductive Justice ◽  
Holistic View ◽  
Marginalized Communities ◽  
Exposure Prophylaxis

Abstract Purpose of Review This review describes lessons learned from longer acting contraception and employs a reproductive justice lens to inform expansion of emerging HIV prevention technologies. Recent Findings Reproductive justice is a framework that advocates for the promotion of universal sexual and reproductive freedoms, particularly among historically marginalized communities. This framework takes a holistic view of individuals and sees the interconnections between sexual health, reproductive health, and overall health. Employing a sexual and reproductive justice perspective is essential to understanding and helping to mitigate the role intersecting structural, sexual, and reproductive oppressions, including those demonstrated through promotion of longer acting contraception, and can critically inform rollout of future prevention technologies, such as longer acting HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis. Summary This review highlights the need for researchers, clinicians, and policymakers to apply lessons learned from contraception and specifically focuses on principles of reproductive justice to offer expanding HIV prevention options.

Sexual health knowledge and behaviour of young Sudanese Queenslanders: a cross-sectional study

Sexual Health ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 14 (3) ◽  
pp. 254 ◽  
Author(s):  
Judith Dean ◽  
Marion Mitchell ◽  
Donald Stewart ◽  
Joseph Debattista
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Health ◽  
Health Knowledge ◽  
Forced Migration ◽  
Risk Behaviour ◽  
Sexual Risk Behaviour ◽  
Hiv Knowledge ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Convenience Sample ◽  
Behaviour Score ◽  
Sexual Health Knowledge

Background Forced migration is associated with sexual vulnerability. However, little is known about the sexual health literacy and needs of refugee-background youth post resettlement. Methods: Conducted in partnership with the Queensland Sudanese community, this study used a cross-sectional survey to explore the sexual health knowledge, attitudes and behaviours of a convenience sample of 16- to 24-year-old Sudanese-background youth in Australia (n = 229). Results: Sexually transmissible infection (STI) and HIV knowledge scores were generally low, although they were found to significantly improve the longer participants had lived in Australia (P < 0.001). Female participants reported significantly higher levels of both STI and HIV knowledge compared with the male cohort (P < 0.001). The aggregated sexual risk behaviour score suggests generally low levels of risk-taking behaviour. However, of the 140 sexually active participants, 3.1% reported a STI diagnosis, 9.0% reported sex leading to a pregnancy and 33.1% reported they had experienced unwanted sex. Participants also reported engaging in behaviours such as anal sex (33%) and sharing injecting drug equipment. Conclusions: Patterns of sexual behaviour among this predominately refugee-background group are not dissimilar to those of other young Australians. Nonetheless, the self-reported patterns of risk behaviour combined with the low and inaccurate levels of sexual health knowledge suggest this group of young people remain sexually vulnerable, particularly early within their resettlement experience. Culturally and contextually informed sexual health interventions are needed early within the resettlement experience.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document