International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
Volume 16, Issue 6, 2019

Why i can’t, won’t or don’t test for HIV: Insights from australian migrants born in sub-saharan africa, southeast asia and Northeast Asia (Article) (Open Access)

Gray C.* , Lobo R. , Narciso L. , Oudih E. , Gunaratnam P. , Thorpe R. , Crawford G.
  • a Collaboration for Evidence, Research and Impact in Public Health, School of Public Health, Curtin University, Kent Street, Bentley, WA 6102, Australia
  • b Collaboration for Evidence, Research and Impact in Public Health, School of Public Health, Curtin University, Kent Street, Bentley, WA 6102, Australia
  • c Communicable Disease Control Branch, Public Health and Clinical Systems, Department for Health and Wellbeing, Government of South Australia, Adelaide, SA 5000, Australia
  • d PEACE Multicultural Services, Relationships Australia South Australia, Adelaide, SA 5000, Australia
  • e The Kirby Institute, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
  • f Australian Research Centre in Sex, Health and Society, La Trobe University, Bundoora, VIC 3086, Australia
  • g Collaboration for Evidence, Research and Impact in Public Health, School of Public Health, Curtin University, Kent Street, Bentley, WA 6102, Australia

Abstract

People born in sub-Saharan Africa and Southeast Asia are overrepresented in HIV notifications in Australia. Just under half of all notifications among people from sub-Saharan Africa and Southeast Asia are diagnosed late. Increased HIV testing among these communities is necessary to ensure early diagnosis, better care and reduce likelihood of HIV onward transmission. Recently, Australia has made new HIV testing methods available: rapid HIV testing and self-testing kits. We conducted 11 focus groups with 77 participants with people from sub-Saharan Africa, Southeast Asia and Northeast Asia in four jurisdictions in Australia. Focus groups discussed barriers to HIV testing and the acceptability of new testing methods. Barriers to HIV testing included: cost and eligibility of health services, low visibility of HIV in Australia, HIV-related stigma, and missed opportunities by general practitioners (GPs) for early diagnosis of HIV and linkage into care. Participants had low levels of knowledge on where to test for HIV and the different methods available. Diverse opportunities for testing were considered important. Interventions to increase HIV testing rates among sub-Saharan African, Southeast Asia and Northeast Asian migrants in Australia need to be multi-strategic and aimed at individual, community and policy levels. New methods of HIV testing, including rapid HIV testing and self-testing, present an opportunity to engage with migrants outside of traditional health care settings. © 2019 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.

Author Keywords

sexual health HIV Migrants HIV testing

Index Keywords

information processing immigrant HIV Infections Africa south of the Sahara Sub-Saharan Africa Human immunodeficiency virus infection mass screening Australia health care policy human epidemiology middle aged Asia health service ethnology Human immunodeficiency virus Homosexuality, Male male homosexuality Young Adult health care cost Humans migrant psychology Adolescent male Southeast Asia female Social Stigma Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice Article disease transmission health care adult migration Australian Transients and Migrants testing method program acceptability attitude to health Focus Groups Northeast Asia
Link
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85063658502&doi=10.3390%2fijerph16061034&partnerID=40&md5=8e43ee459939e59681ec753b6a2deb81
DOI: 10.3390/ijerph16061034
ISSN: 16617827
Original Language: English