Research Update

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‘I Want to survive, I want to win, I want tomorrow’

An exploratory study of African men living with HIV in London.

Lesley Doyal, Unviersity of Bristol, Jane Anderson, Homerton University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and Patricia Apenteng, Queen Mary University of London

The objective of this study was to explore the circumstances of African men living with HIV in London with a particular focus on the relationships between gender, masculinity and HIV that would inform health and social care issues.

The main study sample was made up of 35 men aged 18 and over, who self identified as ‘black African’, who had been born in Africa diagnosed HIV positive for six months or more and had lived in the UK for at least six months. The men were mainly recruited from HIV clinical services at Homerton, Newham, St Bartholomew’s and the Royal London Hospitals. Twelve men involved with a peer support group (OPAM, Organisation of Positive African Men) were later included as a supplementary sample.

A series of qualitative semi-structured interviews were conducted on hospital premises. Demographic data was collected from each man in the sample using a structured written questionnaire immediately prior to interview. The men came from 12 difference countries with almost half being either of Ugandan or Zimbabwean origin. Their ages ranged from 25-59 years with 69% being between 35 and 45 years. Just over half of the men (54%) were married or living as married and 29 (83%) had children.

During the interviews the men spoke of the impact of finding out they were HIV positive, the majority having been diagnosed when they were already experiencing symptoms. Having been diagnosed many men found it difficult to disclose their status to people outside their immediate family. The need for secrecy led to social isolation. Other themes that emerged were around fatherhood, struggling for social status and employment, perceptions of masculinity, religion and access to healthcare.

This report is available from:

www.ahpn.org/publications/index.php?int_id=2&pub_id=15

A review of Research Among Black African communities Affected by HIV in the UK and Europe.

Audrey Prost, Medical Research Council Social and Public Health Scieneces Unit, University of Glasgow

Review aims and methods

This review aims to describe and summarise the literature on prevention interventions with African migrant communities affected by HIV in the UK and other European countries, and to make recommendations for future interventions.

The authors conducted a keyword search using Embase, Medline and PsychInfo, searched existing reviews, ‘grey literature’, and expert working group reports.

Six key themes that emerged from descriptive studies were explored:

• HIV testing
• Sexual lifestyles and attitudes
• Gender
• Use of HIV services
• Stigma and disclosure
• Deprivation and legal status

Results

The review included 129 studies, of which 29 were published in peer-reviewed journals. Twenty-four of these were descriptive quantitative studies, and five were qualitative studies. A total of 100 ‘grey literature’ publications (mainly reports and online publications) encompassing quantitative and qualitative data were also included.

There were no studies in peer-reviewed journals describing HIV interventions with people of sub-Saharan African origin.
However, information on existing interventions was available through grey literature, and details of 31 interventions were thus obtained, 22 in the UK and nine in other European countries.

See here for Q&A with the author

Research News announced at the 8th seminar day

Fiona Burns, clinical research fellow at University College London, reported that recruitment to SONHIA (Study of Newly Diagnosed HIV Among Africans Living in London) is going well. The eagerly anticipated findings from the study will be available in the third quarter of 2006.

Lillian Ndawula, project coordinator of the National African HIV Prevention Programme (NAHIP), announced that the latest NAHIP HIV prevention campaign “Beyond Condoms: Building a safer sex culture” will be evaluated by the Migration Ethnicity and Sexual Health Programme at UCL. The campaign will be launched in June 2006.

Jonathan Elford, City University, told delegates that 1,700 patients had been recruited in five hospitals for the East London Study.

Faustina Monshonto from Terrence Higgins Trust reported that the organisation has been working with faith communities in Bristol. They have recently finished conducting focus groups for the formative research on the Beyond Condoms campaign.