SRC Publications
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A Flyer on Sexual Stigma & Sexually Transmitted Infections
Understanding the Influence of Sexual Stigma on HIV/Sexually Transmitted Infections Knowledge and Incidence, Sexual Risk Behaviour, and Access to Sexual Health Care Among Lesbian, Bisexual and Queer Women in Toronto, Canada
Researcher: Carmen Logie
Added: Sep 2015 Category: -
Individual and jurisdictional factors associated with voluntary HIV testing in Canada: Results of a national survey, 2011
Catherine A. Worthington, PhD, Liviana M. Calzavara, PhD, Samantha J. White, MSc, DanAllman, PhD, Mark W. Tyndall, MD, ScD, FRCPC
Abstract:
HIV testing remains a central strategy for HIV prevention for its ability to link those who test positive to treatment and support. In Canada, national guidelines have recently changed as part of standard primary care to recommend voluntary HIV testing for those aged 16–64 years. Using results from a nationally representative survey, we examined individual and jurisdictional factors associated with voluntary testing.
Can J Public Health 2015;106(2):e4–e9doi:10.17269/CJPH.106.4625
Added: May 2015 Category: -
Charitable Giving for HIV and AIDS: Results from a Canadian National Survey
Background
For the first time, a national survey of adults in Canada posed questions on charitable giving for HIV and AIDS. The objective of this analysis was to explore the behaviour and attitudes of this population in terms of charitable giving.
Added: Aug 2014 Category: -
Drug use prior to incarceration and associated socio-behavioural factors among males in a provincial correctional facility in Ontario, Canada
Drug use prior to incarceration and associated socio-behavioural factors among males in a provincial correctional facility in Ontario, Canada
Abstract
OBJECTIVES: To describe the prevalence of drug use in males in a provincial detention centre during the year before incarceration and to examine the association between socio-demographic and behavioural factors and drug use.
METHODS: In 2009, 500 adult males completed a survey after admission to a provincial detention centre in Ontario. Past-year prevalence rates were calculated for the use of opioids, cocaine, crack and methamphetamine, and by route of administration. Bivariate logistic regression was used to examine associations between drug use and socio-demographic and behavioural factors.
RESULTS: More than 56% of participants reported use of opioids, cocaine, crack or methamphetamine in the previous year. Risk factors for blood-borne and sexually transmitted infections were commonly reported for the previous year: 12.2% had injected drugs, 78.0% had had unprotected sex, and 48.0% had had more than one sexual partner. In unadjusted analyses, participants who were older than 24 years were more likely to have used any drugs and to have injected drugs in the previous year.
CONCLUSIONS: This study provides the first Canadian data in the past decade on drug use by recently incarcerated adults. We found that drug use and behaviours that increase the risk of transmission of sexually transmitted and blood-borne infections remain very common in this population. Incarceration provides an opportunity to provide services and links to programs for people who use drugs, which could decrease drug-related harms to individuals and society.
Added: Jul 2014 Category: -
Preferential adherence to antiretroviral therapy over tuberculosis treatment: A qualitative study of drug-resistant TB/HIV co-infected patients in South Africa
Daftary A, Padayatchi N, O'Donnell M. Preferential adherence to antiretroviral therapy over tuberculosis treatment: A qualitative study of drug-resistant TB/HIV co-infected patients in South Africa. Glob Public Health. 2014 Jul 18:1-10. [Epub ahead of print] PubMed PMID: 25035943.
Added: Jul 2014 Category: -
A group-based HIV and sexually transmitted infections prevention intervention for lesbian, bisexual, queer and other women who have sex with women in Calgary and Toronto, Canada: study protocol for a non-randomised cohort pilot study
Carmen Logie, Daniela Navia, Marie-Jolie Rwigema, Wangari Tharao, David Este, Mona Loutfy
Abstract
Introduction The limited research that exists suggests that lesbian, bisexual queer (LBQ) and other women who have sex with women are at similar risk for sexually transmitted infections (STI) as heterosexual women. However, scant research has evaluated HIV and STI prevention strategies for LBQ women. The authors present the rationale and study protocol for developing and pilot testing a psychoeducational group-based HIV and STI prevention intervention with LBQ women in Calgary and Toronto, Canada.
Methods and analysis This is a multicentre non-randomised cohort pilot study. The target population is LBQ women in Calgary and Toronto, Canada. The authors aim to recruit 40 participants using purposive peer-driven recruitment methods. Participants will conduct a pretest followed by a 2-day group programme of six 2 h sessions addressing stigma, STI and HIV prevention, healthy relationships, safer sex self-efficacy, self-worth, social support and LBQ community engagement. Participants will conduct a post-test directly following the intervention and 6 weeks after the intervention. The primary outcome is safer sex practices; our prespecified index of clinically significant change is an effect size of 0.50. Secondary outcomes include: safer sex self-efficacy, STI testing frequency, STI knowledge, resilient coping, social support, sexual stigma, access to care, depression and self-esteem. We will conduct mixed-effects regression to calculate mean outcome pre–post test score change.
Ethics and dissemination Research ethics approval was attained from the Office of Research Ethics (REB: 29291), University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Trial results will be published according to the Transparent Reporting of Evaluations with Non-randomised Designs (TREND) statement, regardless of the outcomes.
Publication available at: http://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/4/4/e005190.long
Added: Apr 2014 Category: Capacity Building -
Positive Sex: An Innovative Approach to Disclosure in Practice and in Consequence
This day-long workshop provides a safe, non-judgemental and respectful environment for HIV+ people to practice disclosure. The workshop promotes live, comedic performances which address disclosure and stigma. Role play and theatre provide unthreatening avenues to face fears around disclosure by providing thought provoking questions which challenge HIV associated stigmas. The workshop is supported with a Facilitator’s Guide that helps facilitate semi-structured, humorous activities that break barriers, demystify sex for positive people and help participants negotiate their own levels of comfort around disclosure.
The goal of the workshop is to negotiate disclosure styles by practicing various disclosure scenarios, build disclosure skills and confidence, learn ways of externalizing stigma-based negative responses and equip positive people to have better disclosure experiences.
Living with HIV is a lifelong journey, challenge and commitment that includes sex and intimacy. This workshop provides an opportunity for positive people to explore new ways of taking charge of their sexual lives through practical and dynamic activities.
CTAC will be launching this workshop for service providers who mobilize and work with people living with HIV across each Canadian region. If you are interested in hosting this workshop, or to find out if we have one planned in an area near you, contact
Click here to download the +Sex Facilitator's Workshop Guide
Added: Mar 2014 Category: -
Tea Time: Mapping Informal Networks of Women Living with HIV
by Jessica Whitbread
SRC Student Trainee Award Recipient Jessica Whitbread has launched her book, Tea Time: Mapping Information Networks of Women Living with HIV
From the press release:
Tea Time: Mapping Informal Networks of Women Living with HIV began as Jessica Whitbread’s master’s thesis. She was interested in finding a way to build the fragmented and disconnected network of women living with HIV in Canada through a community-based research project that brought women living with HIV together using the Tea Time method. The project was designed to highlight the health needs of women living with HIV in a North American context, as well as to explore the application of the Tea Time method as a community-building tool. After the original research phase was complete, Tea Time has shifted to be a community arts project and has expanded globally.
Through this work Jessica has hosted tea parties with over 64 women living with HIV. Each woman’s (including Jessica) participation was documented through a personal letter and teacup that has been photographed. The Tea Time book is a collection of the photos as well as an introduction to the Tea Time method and Jessica’s personal and academic insight into the project.
“Tea Time became a personal journey to discover my own understanding of HIV in relation to gender. Each woman’s story is rooted in her own individual experience. This is mine. Similar to the many conversations that were had during Tea Time, these pages offer glimpses of the complicated thought process of living with HIV. You will read about some of these thoughts in the letters that were shared by the women who attended.”
The book is a 194-page, hard cover coffee table book that has a very limited printing of 100 copies. There will be a smaller number of copies that have very limited edition cover sleeves by Jessica MacCormack, Johnny Nawrajac and Anthea Black. Each book has gold foil stamping and will be numbered. There is also a free online version available to everyone here. All the donations will go towards continuing the project and continuing to build the community.
Added: Feb 2014 Category: Knowledge Translation & Exchange -
A social ecological approach to understanding correlates of lifetime sexual assault among sexual minority women in Toronto, Canada: results from a cross-sectional internet-based survey
C. H. Logie, R. Alaggia, and M. J. Rwigema
Stigma, discrimination and violence contribute to health disparities among sexual minorities. Lesbian, bisexual and queer (LBQ) women experience sexual violence at similar or higher rates than heterosexual women. Most research with LBQ women, however, has focused on measuring prevalence of sexual violence rather than its association with health outcomes, individual, social and structural factors. We conducted a cross-sectional online survey with LBQ women in Toronto, Canada. Multivariate logistic regression analyses were conducted to assess correlates of lifetime sexual assault (LSA). Almost half (42%) of participants (n = 415) reported experiences of LSA. Participants identifying as queer were more likely to have experienced LSA than those identifying as lesbian. When controlling for socio-demographic characteristics, experiencing LSA was associated with higher rates of depression, sexually transmitted infections (STIs), receiving an STI test, belief that healthcare providers were not comfortable with their LBQ sexual orientation, and sexual stigma (overall, perceived and enacted). A history of sexual violence was associated with lower: self-rated health, overall social support, family social support and self-esteem. This research highlights the salience of a social ecological framework to inform interventions for health promotion among LBQ women and to challenge sexual stigma and sexual violence.
C. H. Logie, R. Alaggia, and M. J. Rwigema. A social ecological approach to understanding correlates of lifetime sexual assault among sexual minority women in Toronto, Canada: results from a cross-sectional internet-based survey. Health Educ. Res. 2014 : cyt119v1-cyt119.
Added: Feb 2014 Category: Research -
More HARM Than GOOD: How overly broad HIV criminalisation is hurting public health
On April 27th and 28th 2013 an international workshop funded by the SRC was held in Toronto, Canada to support, encourage and further develop emerging research on the public health implications of criminalizing HIV non-disclosure, exposure and transmission. It was the first international meeting focused exclusively on sharing, critiquing and strengthening new empirical research on this topic.
While in Toronto for the workshop, Edwin Bernard and Nicholas Feustel created a video that features researchers who presented their work at the workshop. View it here at http://vimeo.com/73954954Added: Jan 2014 Category: Knowledge Translation & Exchange - 1 2 3 >
