Awareness of HIV testing and sexual health services - Engagement with black communities in Buckinghamshire
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Healthwatch Bucks worked in partnership with Buckinghamshire Council and Terrance Higgins Trust to engage with black African and Caribbean communities to find out about:
- attitudes to HIV
- awareness of PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis)
- awareness of PEP (post-exposure prophylaxis
- awareness and knowledge in relation to how to access HIV tests and sexual health services
- barriers to accessing sexual health services
- preferred delivery of sexual health services
- current sexual health promotion
They engaged with barbershops and beauty salons, a Nigerian coffee shop, multicultural organisations, and local voluntary sector community groups to gather data. They spoke to 50 people.
Above half of survey participants were aware that they could get free HIV tests at walk-in health centres. However, over two-thirds of them (70%) did not know that HIV tests could be posted to their home address.
Almost none of the respondents had heard of PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis) or PeP (post-exposure prophylaxis) for HIV prevention. People from the black Caribbean group, more than those from the black African group, said that they would seek advice about PrEP and PeP from their local General Practitioner (GP).
58% of respondents had considered visiting a sexual health clinic in the past.
“Fear of being judged by health professionals” was more of a concern for women (than men) and those that were married (than other partnership status). People that were married were also less likely to visit a sexual health clinic than those reporting another partnership status.
Interpersonal communication i.e., face-to-face or by telephone was preferred for contacting sexual health services. Only one third of respondents said that they would prefer online contact.
Just under half of the respondents (42%) were undecided if black communities experience difficulties when accessing local sexual health services. However, the evidence suggests that women, more than men, believe they might experience difficulties.
Of those that had been tested for HIV, exactly half (50%) were taken for routine purposes i.e., pregnancy and travelling outside the UK.
The report contains fifteen recommendations about communication and promotional activities.