Rusty Souleymanov

Never reflected anywhere: body image among ethnoracialized gay and bisexual men.

A growing body of literature has highlighted the increased prevalence of body image concerns and associations with health outcomes among gay and bisexual men (GBM). Little research, however, has examined the link between body image and social oppression for ethnoracialized GBM. Using an intersectionality lens and qualitative inductive analysis, data were collected through focus groups and interviews with GBM (n=61) who identify with one of four ethnoracial groups (Black, East/Southeast Asian, South Asian, Latino/Brazilian). Three main themes emerged: (1) body image idealization in gay/bisexual male culture, (2) negotiating a racialized body image, and (3) negotiating the impact of body image on relationship with self and others. The study results highlighted how multiple forms of oppression (e.g., racism, sexism) intersected with one another to impact the body image and overall well-being among ethnoracialized GBM.

The ethics of community-based research with people who use drugs: results of a scoping review

BackgroundDrug user networks and community-based organizations advocate for greater, meaningful involvement of people with lived experience of drug use in research, programs and services, and policy initiatives. Community-based approaches to research provide an opportunity to engage people who use drugs in all stages of the research process. Conducting community-based participatory research (CBPR) with people who use drugs has its own ethical challenges that are not necessarily acknowledged or supported by institutional ethics review boards. We conducted a scoping review to identify ethical issues in CBPR with people who use drugs that were documented in peer-reviewed and grey literature.MethodsThe search strategy focused on three areas; community-based research, ethical issues, and drug use. Searches of five academic databases were conducted in addition to a grey literature search, hand-searching, and consultation with organizational partners and key stakeholders. Peer reviewed literature and community reports published in English between 1985 and 2013 were included, with initial screening conducted by two reviewers.ResultsThe search strategy produced a total of 874 references. Twenty-five references met the inclusion criteria and were included in our thematic analysis. Five areas were identified as important to the ethics of CBPR with people who use drugs: 1) participant compensation, 2) drug user perspectives on CBPR, 3) peer recruitment and representation in CBPR, 4) capacity building, and 5) participation and inclusion in CBPR.ConclusionsWe critically discuss implications of the emerging research in this field and provide suggestions for future research and practice.

Impacts of HIV/AIDS on poor and socially marginalised former commercial plasma donors in rural central China: social work implications

Abstract Little is known about the impact of HIV/AIDS on people who acquired the virus through former commercial plasma donations in the mid-1990s in rural Central China. The objective of this study was to examine socioeconomic impacts associated with HIV/AIDS on poor farm workers and their families, with a particular focus on economic hardships and social exclusion. The findings from 30 interviews reveal the profound effects of deteriorating health on labour power loss. The well-being of people living with HIV/AIDS was immensely affected by the loss of income, debts due to health-related expenses and a lack of alternate sources of income. Social exclusion and HIV/AIDS-related stigma remain significant issues in a workplace, funerals, and weddings. This article highlights the economic impacts of HIV/AIDS on China’s rural population and provides recommendations for social workers to mitigate the impacts of social exclusion on vulnerable rural households in China.

Experiences of racism, sexual objectification and alcohol use among gay and bisexual men of colour

ABSTRACT Objective: Previous research has shown that experiences of racial discrimination and sexual objectification are associated with health risk behaviours among gay and bisexual men of colour. However, little is known about whether racial discrimination and sexual objectification are associated with alcohol use among this population. This community-based study examined the association between racial discrimination, sexual objectification and alcohol use in a sample of 369 gay and bisexual men of colour (Black/African/Caribbean, Latino/Latin American, South Asian, and East and Southeast Asian) in Toronto. Design: Data were drawn from an online survey designed to examine issues of racism, homophobia, health and well-being among gay and bisexual men of colour in Toronto. Regression analysis assessed the relationship between scores on the Racism and Life Experiences Scale, Sexual Objectification Scale, and the CAGE questionnaire (a screen for alcohol use disorder). Results: Multivariable logistic regression analyses revealed that experiences of racism and sexual objectification are significantly and positively associated with a screening for alcohol use disorder. The interactions between Latino/Latin American race/ethnicity and experience of sexual objectification were also positively associated with a screening for alcohol use disorder. Conclusions: Health professionals should consider the role of racial discrimination and sexual objectification within the context of risk and treatment for alcohol use disorders, harm reduction, and HIV prevention for gay and bisexual men of colour.

Coping Strategies of Economically Destitute Women Who Acquired HIV Through Paid Blood and Plasma Collections in Rural China

Little is known about the lives and hardships of socially marginalized and economically destitute women in rural Central China living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), who acquired the virus through commercial blood and plasma donations in the mid-1990s. Women living with HIV and acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) experience significant economic hardships and social exclusion in a male dominated, traditional, rural Chinese society, including the loss of labor power, financial burdens, and HIV-related stigma. This qualitative study examined strategies used by these marginalized women to cope with these hardships. Thematic analysis was used to analyze data from 15 interviews from women in Fuyang City, Anhui. Findings reveal that women undertook a variety of coping strategies: migrating to smaller towns, reducing labor intensity, reallocating labor within households, supplementing incomes by taking on additional jobs, borrowing money from relatives, reducing food consumption, lowering standards of living, withdrawing children from school, strategically disclosing HIV status and background information to employers, as well as avoiding weddings or funerals. This study identifies policy implications that can be used by social workers to mitigate the deleterious social and economic impacts of HIV and AIDS on the lives of women in vulnerable rural households in central China.