Sexual Health, HIV Care and Pre-exposure Prophylaxis in the African Immigrant Population: A Needs Assessment

The objective was to gain insight, from the perspective of healthcare professionals, non-medical service providers and community-based organizations working with a large majority of African immigrant patients or clients, regarding sexual health and the potential for the use of HIV PrEP in this prior...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of immigrant and minority health 2020-02, Vol.22 (1), p.134-144
Main Authors: Okoro, Olihe N., Whitson, Shanasha O.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
African cultural groups
Basic needs
Black people
Communities
Community Education
Community organizations
Comparative Law
Cultural competence
Education
Focus Groups
Health care access
Health risks
Health services
HIV
Housing
Human immunodeficiency virus
Immigrants
Immigration
International & Foreign Law
Interviews
Medical personnel
Medical Services
Medicine
Medicine & Public Health
Needs analysis
Needs assessment
Noncitizens
Original Paper
Patient communication
Preventive medicine
Private International Law
Prophylaxis
Public Health
Questionnaires
Respondents
Risk assessment
Risk perception
Self-administration
Sexual behavior
Sexual health
Sexually transmitted diseases
Sociology
STD
Stigma
Taboos
Talking
Training
Uptake
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Summary:The objective was to gain insight, from the perspective of healthcare professionals, non-medical service providers and community-based organizations working with a large majority of African immigrant patients or clients, regarding sexual health and the potential for the use of HIV PrEP in this priority population. Thirty key informants participated in a needs assessment. A questionnaire was used to obtain information through focus groups, structured interviews and by self-administration. There are cultural and linguistic barriers to engaging Africans in discussing sexual health issues. Key challenges to uptake of PrEP are multi-dimensional: socioeconomic [immigration status, housing]; cultural [talking about sex ’taboo’, HIV related stigma, no concept of preventive care]; provider-related (cultural competency, inadequate PrEP education, language barrier); and individual (lack of awareness, perception of HIV risk). Meeting basic needs like housing, assuring access to care (including PrEP), community-based education, relevant training of providers, and tailored messaging are strongly recommended. Effectively addressing HIV incidence in the African-born immigrant population redonequires a multi-pronged approach.
ISSN:1557-1912
1557-1920
DOI:10.1007/s10903-019-00873-x