Associations between punitive policies and legal barriers to consensual same-sex sexual acts and HIV among gay men and other men who have sex with men in sub-Saharan Africa: a multicountry, respondent-driven sampling survey

Lyons, Carrie; Rwema, Jean Olivier Twahirwa; Makofane, Keletso; Diouf, Daouda; Njindam, Iliassou Mfochive; Ba, Ibrahima; Kouamé, Abo; Tamoufé, Ubald; Cham, Bai; Djaló, Mamadú Aliu; Obodou, Evelyne-Patrice; Karita, Etienne; Anato, Simplice; Nowak, Rebecca G.; Crowell, Trevor A; Matse, Sindy; Kouanda, Séni; Enama, Jean-Paul; Kavanagh, Matthew M.; Millett, Gregorio A.; Beyrer, Chris; Murray, Sarah; Baral, Stefan

doi:10.1016/s2352-3018(22)00336-8

Cited by 31 publications

(20 citation statements)

References 23 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…1 Center for Public Health and Human Rights, Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA; 2 Public Policy Office, The Foundation for AIDS Research (amfAR), Washington, District of Columbia, USA; 3 Global Network of People Living with HIV (GNP+), Amsterdam, Netherlands; 4 Enda Santé, Dakar, Senegal…”

Section: A U T H O R S ' a F F I L I At I O N Smentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The relationship between health and human rights has been established for many infectious and non-communicable diseases but has been a defining characteristic of the HIV pandemic since its emergence over 40 years ago [2]. In any location or population where human rights are violated, HIV risks increase [3,4]. And where human rights are fulfilled, the context to effectively deliver HIV prevention, testing and treatment programmes can be leveraged to decrease HIV incidence and improve the health and wellbeing of people living with HIV.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

There is no path to ending AIDS by 2030 without improving human rights

Baral,

Millett,

Syarif

et al. 2023

J Int AIDS Soc.

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Section: A U T H O R S ' a F F I L I At I O N Smentioning

confidence: 99%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

There is no path to ending AIDS by 2030 without improving human rights

Baral,

Millett,

Syarif

et al. 2023

J Int AIDS Soc.

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

“…Additionally, legal structures in several sub-Saharan African countries, including Ghana, criminalize same-sex relationships and behaviors, contributing to the reinforcement of stigma against transgender individuals [22][23][24][25] . In Ghana, a recently passed anti-LGBT bill by parliament is pending presidential assent to become law, with signi cant international and domestic pressure urging the president to reject this discriminatory legislation 26 .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A qualitative description of HIV testing and healthcare experiences among trans women in Ghanaian urban slums BSGH-011

Dakpui,

Shamrock,

Aidoo-Frimpong

et al. 2024

Preprint

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Background Achieving the UNAIDS 90–90–90 targets hinges on identifying and engaging individuals with HIV in care, requiring 90% of those infected to be diagnosed, initiated on ART, and achieving viral suppression. Despite this imperative, HIV testing services as well as research in Ghana often overlook the unique experiences of transgender women in urban slums, impacting their engagement with care. Using the gender affirmative model lens, this study reports the HIV testing experiences of trans women in Ghanaian slums, highlighting how the healthcare environment, counseling, and healthcare provider attitudes shape these experiences. Methods A qualitative descriptive interview design was employed, involving 20 trans women aged 18 to 31 years living in urban slums in the Greater Accra Metropolitan Area of Ghana. Participants were recruited using purposive and snowball sampling techniques. Data were collected through face-to-face interviews, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed using NVivo. Results were presented in categories and subcategories. Results Two main categories emerged from our data analysis: 1) Positive Experiences with HIV Testing, and 2) Negative Experiences with HIV Testing. Positive experiences with HIV testing among trans women in Ghanaian slums included a welcoming environment at healthcare facilities, supportive counseling, and relatability with HIV-positive nurses. Negative experiences were characterized by fear and anxiety during testing, often intensified by healthcare worker attitudes, including unwelcoming behaviors and judgmental body language, especially in facilities that are not key population friendly. These categories provided a framework for understanding the varied experiences of trans women in Ghanaian slums regarding HIV testing. Conclusion The study emphasizes the urgent need for healthcare facilities in Ghanaian slums to address discriminatory practices and attitudes towards trans women, fostering a welcoming and affirming environment. Adopting a multifaceted approach integrating the gender-affirmative model's principles is crucial to enhancing HIV testing experiences and achieving improved health outcomes for trans women. Policymakers and healthcare providers must prioritize comprehensive training, inclusive healthcare environments, and culturally competent care to mitigate health disparities among this population.

show abstract

“…The HIV stigma framework defines stigma in three mechanisms: enacted stigma, involving the discrimination they experience in the community; anticipated stigma, involving the prediction of being discriminated and prejudiced; and internalized stigma, involving the endorsed negative beliefs and labels the stigmatized person applied to oneself (Earnshaw & Chaudoir, 2009). HIV‐positive MSM who have stigma experience tend to have higher prevalence of HIV‐transmission risk behaviors and poorer self‐reported health status (Bogart et al., 2013; Hatzenbuehler et al., 2011; Lyons et al., 2023; Tao et al., 2022). Additionally, stigma‐related experiences might increase MSM's possibility of mental health problems, like depressive symptoms, anxiety, and low self‐esteem (Mitzel et al., 2015; Murphy et al., 2018; Yan et al., 2019; Zhai et al., 2023).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Characteristics and influencing factors of anticipated HIV stigma among HIV‐negative/unknown MSM in China: A regression mixture model

Dai,

Wu,

Liu

et al. 2024

Brain and Behavior

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

BackgroundAnticipated HIV stigma among men who have sex with men's (MSM) has a severe negative effect on their physical and mental health wellbeing and hence requires specific attention. The current study aims to identify the characteristics and the psychosocial influencing factors of anticipated HIV stigma in MSM using regression mixture model (RMM) and to determine the cut‐off point of the seven‐item Anticipated HIV Stigma Questionnaire (AHSQ) using the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis.MethodsA cross‐sectional study was conducted among HIV‐negative/unknown MSM from Blued online platform in China from December 16th, 2020 to March 1st, 2021, enrolling 1394 participants. Data were collected on demographic characteristics, perceived social support, anticipated HIV stigma, depressive symptoms, and HIV knowledge. Latent profile analysis was performed to identify different profiles of anticipated HIV stigma level. Chi‐square test, analysis of variance, and RMM analysis were conducted to explore the influencing factors in different profiles. ROC analyses were carried out to identify the cut‐off value of anticipated stigma.ResultsAmong the participants, three profiles of anticipated stigma were identified: “low anticipated HIV stigma” (12.0%), “moderate anticipated HIV stigma” (52.1%), and “severe anticipated HIV stigma” (35.9%). RMM analysis showed that higher income and higher levels of knowledge were positively associated with moderate anticipated HIV stigma, whereas full‐time job and social support were negatively associated with moderate anticipated HIV stigma; higher income, depressive symptoms, and knowledge were positively associated with severe anticipated HIV stigma, whereas minor ethnicity and social support were negatively associated with severe anticipated HIV stigma. ROC curve of the AHSQ showed that the optimal cut‐off value of ≥16 could indicate positive anticipated HIV stigma.ConclusionThe study focuses on the level of anticipated HIV stigma and its psycho‐socio influencing factors among HIV‐negative/unknown MSM. It provides evidence for implementing relevant psychological interventions to HIV‐negative/unknown MSM.

show abstract

Associations between punitive policies and legal barriers to consensual same-sex sexual acts and HIV among gay men and other men who have sex with men in sub-Saharan Africa: a multicountry, respondent-driven sampling survey

Cited by 31 publications

References 23 publications

There is no path to ending AIDS by 2030 without improving human rights

There is no path to ending AIDS by 2030 without improving human rights

A qualitative description of HIV testing and healthcare experiences among trans women in Ghanaian urban slums BSGH-011

Characteristics and influencing factors of anticipated HIV stigma among HIV‐negative/unknown MSM in China: A regression mixture model

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About