P. Papaloukas

Equality in sexual health promotion: a systematic review of effective interventions for black and minority ethnic men who have sex with men.

BackgroundOver the past decade, new diagnoses of HIV have increased eightfold among men who have sex with men (MSM) of other or of mixed ethnicity in the UK. Yet there is little intervention research on HIV among black and minority ethnic (BME) MSM. This article aimed to identify effective HIV and sexual health prevention strategies for BME MSM.MethodsWe searched three databases PubMed, Scopus and PsychInfo using a combination of search terms: MSM or men who have sex with men and women (MSMW); Black and Minority Ethnic; HIV or sexual health; and evaluation, intervention, program* or implementation. We identified a total of 19 studies to include in the review including those which used randomised control, pre/post-test and cross-sectional design; in addition, we included intervention development studies.ResultsA total of 12 studies reported statistically significant results in at least one of the behavioural outcomes assessed; one study reported significant increases in HIV knowledge and changes in safer sex practices. In 10 studies, reductions were reported in unprotected anal intercourse (UAI), number of sexual partners, or in both of these measures. Six out of the 13 studies reported reductions in UAI; while seven reported reductions in number of sexual partners. Seven were intervention development studies.ConclusionsResearch into the mechanisms and underpinnings of future sexual health interventions is urgently needed in order to reduce HIV and other sexually transmitted infection (STI) among UK BME MSM. The design of interventions should be informed by the members of these groups for whom they are targeted to ensure the cultural and linguistic sensitivity of the tools and approaches generated.

A structural equation model to predict pre-exposure prophylaxis acceptability in men who have sex with men in Leicester, UK

Pre‐exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is an effective HIV prevention tool for high‐risk men who have sex with men (MSM). However, acceptability and uptake have been variable. This study explored the factors that predict PrEP acceptability in MSM in Leicester, where HIV prevalence is double the national average.

‘There’s this glorious pill’: gay and bisexual men in the English midlands navigate risk responsibility and pre-exposure prophylaxis

ABSTRACT Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is currently being trialed for seronegative gay and other men who have sex with men (GMSM) at risk of HIV infection in England. However, research from other countries where PrEP is available shows limited literacy and uptake by GMSM at risk of HIV. We collected focus group data from 18 GMSM (13 HIV− and 5 HIV+) from Leicester, an ethnically diverse city in the English Midlands. Data were analysed using thematic analysis and three themes are presented. The first theme ‘I can’t get my head around people like that’: Representations of PrEP users within and beyond gay communities explores how PrEP users are vilified by some GMSM and the wider media. The second theme, ‘There’s a culture of anti-trust’: PrEP, stigma and the interpersonal politics of HIV disclosure discusses how PrEP influences HIV disclosure and sexual decision-making in casual sero-discordant sexual encounters in a context where seropositive men experienced pervasive HIV stigma and HIV− men were suspicious of HIV+ sexual partners. In the final theme, ‘I’m still suspicious’: Discourses of doubt and distrust participants voiced concern over the safety of PrEP and the motives of drug companies, healthcare agencies and PrEP activists. We consider these findings through a critical lens of wider theorising around the relationship between public health agencies and GMSM communities and consider the impact of these perspectives on likely engagement with PrEP in an English context. We call for more critically informed and nuanced ways of promoting health and well-being amongst men from these communities.

001 BP: USING PHOTOGRAPHY IN PHENOMENOLOGICAL RESEARCH IN THE CONTEXT OF CHRONIC ILLNESS AND DISABILITY: A REFLECTIVE OVERVIEW

As qualitative health researchers are increasingly recognising the limitations of one-off interviews for accessing the ‘lifeworld’ of participants, and the taking and sharing of photographs to document aspects of day to day life has become a quotidian (but arguably mundane) habit for many, so research integrating a photographic component is flourishing. In this presentation we reflect on our experiences of integrating participant-authored photographs with semi-structured interviews within an interpretative phenomenological approach. As critical health psychologists our focus has been on aiming to give an ‘authentic’ voice to individuals and communities who might be considered marginalised or hard-to-reach. Thus, we illustrate our arguments using examples from a series of recent research projects which have looked at LGBT people living with multiple sclerosis, men with breast cancer, mothers of daughters with Rett syndrome and partners of individuals with acquired brain injury. We discuss how participants found taking the photographs, the barriers some participants faced and how we tried to overcome these. We reflect on the nature of the photographs taken and discuss various strategies for integration with the interview component for synergistic results. We consider methodological, epistemological and ethical aspects with a particular focus on concerns around ‘methodolatry’. In the final part of the presentation we explore the challenges of interpretation using two examples – “gym bathroom” from the MS study, and “cloud” from the men with breast cancer study. We conclude with some thoughts about what collaboration should mean in relation to research using photography in this field of research activity.