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Marginalization and social change processes among lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender persons in Swaziland: implications for HIV prevention.
AIDS Care. 2018 06; 30(sup2):33-40.AC

Abstract

Swaziland has among the highest national adult HIV prevalence globally. There is limited knowledge of HIV vulnerabilities and prevention engagement among lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) persons in the context of Swaziland's criminalization of consensual same-sex practices. This study explored social processes of marginalization to assess how they could potentiate HIV vulnerabilities and limit engagement in HIV prevention services. Additionally, we assessed positive change to better understand existing strategies employed by LGBT persons to challenge these HIV prevention barriers. Guided by community-based research methodology and conducted in Mbabane and Manzini, Swaziland, data were collected by LGBT peer-research assistants (PRA) in collaboration with an LGBT community organization in Manzini. Semi-structured interviews were conducted by trained PRAs and explored HIV prevention, including experiences of stigma and coping. Audio files were transcribed verbatim, translated to English, and analyzed using thematic techniques. Among participants (n = 51; mean age: 26.47, SD: 4.68), 40 self-identifed as gay or lesbian (78.4%), 11 bisexual (22.6%), and 12 (23.5%) identified as transgender. Findings highlighted three primary processes of marginalization and positive change in structural, community, and internal domains. First, structural marginalization, which included criminalization, healthcare discrimination, and a scarcity of LGBT tailored HIV prevention resources was challenged by grassroots networks created to access and share specific HIV resources with LGBT persons and the Ministry of Health. Second, community marginalization included stigma and multi-dimensional forms of violence, however, this was met with LGBT persons providing mutual peer support, including for accessing HIV testing services. Thirdly, internal marginalization comprised of self-stigma and associated sexual risk practices was contrasted with coping strategies focused on self-acceptance, stemming from social support and leading to healthcare utilization. Jointly, these findings can inform the implementation of community-based and rights affirming HIV prevention and care cascade strategies that improve coverage of services with LGBT persons in Swaziland.

Authors+Show Affiliations

a Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work , University of Toronto , Toronto , ON , Canada. b Women's College Hospital , Women's College Research Institute , Toronto , ON , Canada.c Mailman School of Public Health , Columbia University , New York , NY , USA.d Dalla Lana School of Public Health , University of Toronto , Toronto , ON , Canada.e The Rock of Hope , Manzini , Swaziland.f Southern African Nazarene University , Manzini , Swaziland.g Department of Epidemiology , Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health , Baltimore , MD , USA.

Pub Type(s)

Journal Article
Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

Language

eng

PubMed ID

29848007

Citation

H Logie, Carmen, et al. "Marginalization and Social Change Processes Among Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Persons in Swaziland: Implications for HIV Prevention." AIDS Care, vol. 30, no. sup2, 2018, pp. 33-40.
H Logie C, Perez-Brumer A, Jenkinson J, et al. Marginalization and social change processes among lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender persons in Swaziland: implications for HIV prevention. AIDS Care. 2018;30(sup2):33-40.
H Logie, C., Perez-Brumer, A., Jenkinson, J., Madau, V., Nhlengethwa, W., & Baral, S. (2018). Marginalization and social change processes among lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender persons in Swaziland: implications for HIV prevention. AIDS Care, 30(sup2), 33-40. https://doi.org/10.1080/09540121.2018.1468011
H Logie C, et al. Marginalization and Social Change Processes Among Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Persons in Swaziland: Implications for HIV Prevention. AIDS Care. 2018;30(sup2):33-40. PubMed PMID: 29848007.
* Article titles in AMA citation format should be in sentence-case
TY - JOUR T1 - Marginalization and social change processes among lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender persons in Swaziland: implications for HIV prevention. AU - H Logie,Carmen, AU - Perez-Brumer,Amaya, AU - Jenkinson,Jesse, AU - Madau,Veli, AU - Nhlengethwa,Winnie, AU - Baral,Stefan, Y1 - 2018/05/30/ PY - 2018/6/1/pubmed PY - 2019/9/24/medline PY - 2018/6/1/entrez KW - HIV prevention KW - Swaziland KW - bisexual and transgender KW - gay KW - lesbian KW - qualitative KW - stigma SP - 33 EP - 40 JF - AIDS care JO - AIDS Care VL - 30 IS - sup2 N2 - Swaziland has among the highest national adult HIV prevalence globally. There is limited knowledge of HIV vulnerabilities and prevention engagement among lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) persons in the context of Swaziland's criminalization of consensual same-sex practices. This study explored social processes of marginalization to assess how they could potentiate HIV vulnerabilities and limit engagement in HIV prevention services. Additionally, we assessed positive change to better understand existing strategies employed by LGBT persons to challenge these HIV prevention barriers. Guided by community-based research methodology and conducted in Mbabane and Manzini, Swaziland, data were collected by LGBT peer-research assistants (PRA) in collaboration with an LGBT community organization in Manzini. Semi-structured interviews were conducted by trained PRAs and explored HIV prevention, including experiences of stigma and coping. Audio files were transcribed verbatim, translated to English, and analyzed using thematic techniques. Among participants (n = 51; mean age: 26.47, SD: 4.68), 40 self-identifed as gay or lesbian (78.4%), 11 bisexual (22.6%), and 12 (23.5%) identified as transgender. Findings highlighted three primary processes of marginalization and positive change in structural, community, and internal domains. First, structural marginalization, which included criminalization, healthcare discrimination, and a scarcity of LGBT tailored HIV prevention resources was challenged by grassroots networks created to access and share specific HIV resources with LGBT persons and the Ministry of Health. Second, community marginalization included stigma and multi-dimensional forms of violence, however, this was met with LGBT persons providing mutual peer support, including for accessing HIV testing services. Thirdly, internal marginalization comprised of self-stigma and associated sexual risk practices was contrasted with coping strategies focused on self-acceptance, stemming from social support and leading to healthcare utilization. Jointly, these findings can inform the implementation of community-based and rights affirming HIV prevention and care cascade strategies that improve coverage of services with LGBT persons in Swaziland. SN - 1360-0451 UR - https://www.unboundmedicine.com/medline/citation/29848007/Marginalization_and_social_change_processes_among_lesbian_gay_bisexual_and_transgender_persons_in_Swaziland:_implications_for_HIV_prevention_ DB - PRIME DP - Unbound Medicine ER -