COPAHM E-NEWS ISSUE 13, 2021
Welcome to CoPAHM's quarterly e-News! This is your source for the latest updates regarding HIV and mobility issues. If you have something you would like to share via CoPAHM please let us know. For broader news relating to sexual health, please view the SiREN e-News or subscribe by emailing siren@curtin.edu.au.
Please get in touch at copahm@curtin.edu.au if you need assistance accessing the research.
CoPAHM Updates
CoPAHM Strategic Plan 2021 - 2025. CoPAHM has received funding from the WA Sexual Health and Blood-borne Virus Program to continue supporting the mobilisation of relevant sectors and organisations in the national response to HIV and population mobility. The CoPAHM Strategic Plan has recently been published, outlining the objectives that will guide CoPAHM activities within the 2021 - 2025 period. Access the report here.
Odyssey Research Hub. The Odyssey Research team is seeking interest from members conducting research into issues relating to public health, population mobility and migration in the Asia-Pacific region to join the Odyssey Research Hub. The Hub is an online platform comprising researchers from the Curtin School of Population Health working in collaboration with researchers from other disciplines and international institutions. The hub houses CoPAHM national, where you will find the HIV and Mobility in Australia: Road Map for Action, the CoPAHM Strategic Plan, publications, news, project info and more. Access the Hub here.
Exploring research and surveillance data related issues for CALD populations. CoPAHM was invited to join a working group of six specialist organisations that work with migrant and mobile populations on BBVS and STIs across Australia. Convened by the Australian Federation for AIDS Foundations (AFAO), the group works to support planning, collaboration and provide specialist advice to advance a policy and advocacy, organisational and workforce practice program. There are a range of issues and gaps that have been highlighted by this network in relation to research and surveillance data for CALD populations that it is working to address. Watch this space for updates.
Sexual and Reproductive Health Literacy Grant Success. Dr Jo Durham, member of CoPAHM Queensland and the CoPAHM National Governance Group, was awarded a grant through the Australasian Society for HIV, Viral Hepatitis and Sexual Health Medicine (ASHM) Sexual Health Research Fund. The grant will fund research investigating sexual and reproductive health literacy of young culturally and linguistically diverse Queenslanders, and is led by the Queensland University of Technology in partnership with True Relationships and Reproductive Health, Metro North Public Health, Ethnic Communities Council of Queensland Ltd, Young Pasifika Peoples’ Wellbeing Network. A range of investigators are involved from University of Southern Queensland, Queensland University of Technology, Curtin University, Queensland Health and Ethnic Communities Council QLD.
Socioecological Factors Influencing Sexual Health Experiences and Health Outcomes of Migrant Asian Women Living in ‘Western’ High-Income Countries: A Systematic Review. This review was co-authored by CoPAHM WA members. Five academic databases were searched for peer-reviewed articles and a socioecological model was applied to examine factors of influence in the 17 articles included for final review. Findings suggest that the public health policy, practice, and research to improve the sexual health of migrant women requires greater consideration of the intersecting factors of gender, culture, and the migration process. Access the study here.
Barriers and facilitators to pre-exposure prophylaxis among African migrants in high income countries: a systematic review. Members of CoPAHM Victoria have recently published a systematic review which explored the acceptability, barriers, and facilitators to PrEP use among African migrants in high-income countries. Several common barriers to PrEP use, including stigma, health literacy and risk perception and cost, were identified. Findings were limited by there being no published data on uptake. It is recommended that additional work is needed to understand PrEP acceptability and uptake among African migrants. Access the study here.
‘I think they might just go to the doctor’: qualitatively examining the (un)acceptability of newer HIV testing approaches among Vietnamese-born migrants in greater-Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. Members of CoPAHM Queensland recently published a study investigating insights on the the (un)acceptability, barriers and facilitators to newer HIV testing approaches among Vietnamese-born migrants in greater-Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. It was found that the target group had mixed perspectives on the (un)acceptability of newer HIV testing approaches, and that there is a need to understand migrants’ HIV testing preferences if poorer HIV-related outcomes are to be overcome. The findings from this study show a preference for doctor-centred HIV testing, due to enhanced privacy, accuracy and support. Access the study here.
CoPAHM WA. The CoPAHM WA looking for individuals who are interested in working in collaboration to identify and progress research and action on HIV and Mobility. Virtual meetings are held monthly. Priority populations include international students, travellers, migrants and refugees. If you are interested in being involved, or know someone who might be, email copahm@curtin.edu.au.
In the News
International AIDS Society Conference. Registrations are open for the 11th International AIDS Society Conference on HIV Science, 18-21 July 2021. This biennial conference presents the critical advances in basic, clinical and operational research that moves science into policy and practice. This year the conference will be delivered fully online via an easy-to-use digital platform that connects researchers, health care providers, advocates and policy makers. Early registrations close March 31. Visit the conference website here.
Migrant Blood-borne Virus and Sexual Health Survey. The MIBSS study aims to develop a greater understanding of how migrants living in Australia think and act on the subjects of sexually transmitted infections and blood-borne viruses. Individuals born in sub-Saharan Africa, Southeast Asia and Northeast Asia who are currently living in Western Australia, South Australia, New South Wales, Victoria or Queensland are invited to participate in the survey. The survey is available at this link. Please feel free to share the survey with your networks.
HIV Research for Prevention Conference. All oral abstracts presented at #HIVR4P // Virtual can now be accessed in the official Journal of the AIDS Society supplement. A diverse range of topic such as PrEP, broadly neutralizing antibodies, clinical trial results, COVID-19 and more are featured. Access the supplement here.
HIV and Sexual Health Professional Development Courses. The Australasian Society for HIV, Viral Hepatitis and Sexual Health Medicine offer professional development courses in the areas of HIV, sexual health, primary care and more. Registrations are essential, and CPD points are available for selected courses. View the course schedule here.
Centre for Culture, Ethnicity and Health Webinar Series. Free webinars are available to view by the Centre for Culture, Ethnicity and Health. Each session assists participants in building their skills to work with culturally and linguistically diverse community members. The next webinar Interpreters and Translations, focuses on ways to improve communications with people who have limited English language skills. Access the webinar registration page here.
Reports
Ethical considerations in HIV prevention trials. UNAIDS. The joint UNAIDS and World Health Organization ethical guidance for HIV prevention research has been revised. The guidance outlines universal ethical principles for research involving humans, in ways that are relevant to including people and populations and is responsive to developments in HIV prevention research. This guidance was created in consultation with HIV affected communities and researchers, and is built on the HIV movement’s commitment to equality, non-discrimination, community support and social justice. Access the report here.
Legal and policy trends impacting people living with HIV and key populations in Asia and the Pacific 2014–2019. UNAIDS. This report provides an overview of the key trends in laws and policies that impact people living with HIV in the Asia-Pacific region for the period 2014 - 2019. The report highlights how people living with HIV in Asia and the Pacific continue to face stigma and discrimination often embedded in laws and policies, which is a significant barrier to achieving the UNAIDS goals of ending the AIDS endemic by 2030. Access the report here.
Annual Report of Trends in Behaviour 2020: HIV and STIs in Australia. UNSW Centre for Social Research in Health. This report presents the data on behavioural trends of HIV and STIs for the year 2020, summarising the prevention, care and treatment cascades for HIV and STIs. Additional studies that respond to the National Blood Borne Viruses and Sexually Transmissible Infections Strategies 2018-2022 are also discussed. Access the report here.
National update on HIV, viral hepatitis and sexually transmissible infections in Australia 2009–2018. The Kirby Institute. Due to the ongoing COVID 19 pandemic, there have been delays in the release of data usually reported in the HIV, Viral Hepatitis and Sexually Transmissible Infections in Australia: Annual surveillance report. In lieu of the release of the full report, the following summary data report has been made available. Access the report here.
Research
Tools to measure HIV knowledge, attitudes & practices (KAPs) in healthcare providers: A Systematic Review. Healthcare providers’ knowledge, attitudes and practices (KAPs) related to HIV are important determinants of quality of care provided to HIV/AIDS patients. A systematic search was conducted to identify and evaluate existing tools designed to measure HIV-related KAPs among healthcare providers in higher-income countries. In total, 8 instruments were identified. The instruments drew upon adapted forms of existing HIV-related KAPs and stigma theories and were developed based on a range of methodological designs and for different cadre of healthcare workers. The extent to which psychometric properties for each tool were evaluated varied widely. Further research with more robust methodological and psychometric rigour is required for adequate measurement of KAP among health professionals specific to HIV, so associated training needs, patient experiences and health outcomes can potentially be enhanced. Access the article here.
Migration, Social Networks, and HIV Sexual Risk Behaviors Among Involuntary Bachelors in Rural China. This study examined how migration and social networks relate to bachelors’ (single men) sexual risk behaviours. Data were extracted from a cross-sectional survey, in which male respondents who had rural household registration, had never married, and were aged 28 or older were interviewed in 2017. Analysis reveals that both migration and social networks place the bachelors at an especially high risk of HIV transmission by increasing the chance that they engage in commercial sex. Social networks were found to be significantly associated with sexual partnership concurrency. Social networks mediate the association between migration and commercial sex, suggesting that social networks play an important role in bachelors’ risk of HIV transmission and that further interventions are needed that address social networking. Access the article here.
How perceived Australian sexual norms shape sexual practices of East Asian and sub-Saharan African international students in Sydney. This study used sexual script theory to explore how international students in Sydney, Australia from traditional cultures of East Asian and sub-Saharan African countries construct home backgrounds and Australian sexual norms, and how this may shape their sexual practices during their studies in Australia. Findings provide evidence to support a need for contextualised and effective sexual health services for international students that take account of perceptions around sexual norms and how they can be modified to ensure that sexual practices which these students may engage in, will be managed in a safe and responsible manner. Access the study here.
Nearly a million have started taking PrEP worldwide – only a third of UNAIDS’ 2020 target. Despite the incredible efficacy of oral PrEP and 78 countries currently offering PrEP in some form, its effectiveness at reducing HIV incidence in the real world has been dependent on far-reaching factors that go beyond how well PrEP is able to prevent HIV acquisition at a cellular level: political leadership, quality health services and funding. It is recommended that services need to be community-led, accessible and free from discrimination, but they also need to ensure that there are linkages to social support. These considerations are particularly important in light of new methods, such as injectable and implant-based PrEP. Access the article here.