292159
A socioecological model of sexual risk and resilience among gay/bisexual young men in Kenya: Avenues for prevention
Gary W. Harper, PhD, MPH,
Department of Health Behavior and Health Education, University of Michigan School of Public Health, Ann Arbor, MI
Seanny Brokovich,
Kisumu Initiative for Positive Empowerment (KIPE), Kisumu, Kenya
Pauline Abuor,
CIRCIS Study, Nyanza Reproductive Health Society, Kisumu, Kenya
Robert Bailey, PhD, MPH,
Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL
Black gay/bisexual men and other men who have sex with men (GBMSM) worldwide are disproportionately impacted by HIV, with increasingly high rates of HIV among GBMSM in many sub-Saharan African countries, including Kenya. The Kenya National AIDS Strategic Plan calls for a focus on innovative strategies for reducing HIV among this population, but before such interventions can be developed a systematic understanding of socioecological factors that influence sexual risk and resilience, especially among young GBMSM (Y-GBMSM) who are just beginning their sexual lives, is needed. The goal of this presentation is to describe a socioecological model of sexual risk and resilience among Y-GBMSM in Kenya that can serve as a guide for future HIV prevention interventions. The model, guided by Bronfenbrenner's Bioecological Systems Theory, was developed by a collaborative, cross-cultural team of researchers and community-based service providers in Kenya and the US. The model is organized into the following systems of influence: a) intrapersonal factors, b) interpersonal factors, c) institutional/community factors, and d) sociocultural/policy factors. The specific factors included in each level are based on prior literature on sexual risk/resilience in Kenya, and a comprehensive mixed-method analysis of quantitative and qualitative data we collected in Kenya: a) a behavioral/seroprevalence survey, b) an LGBT coalition needs assessment and c) a Community Forum with LGBT community activists. After fully describing each theoretical system of influence and supporting its inclusion with data and theory, we will offer recommendations for the development of HIV prevention interventions that reduce risk and build on existing resiliencies.
Learning Areas:
Diversity and culture
Planning of health education strategies, interventions, and programs
Program planning
Public health or related education
Social and behavioral sciences
Systems thinking models (conceptual and theoretical models), applications related to public health
Learning Objectives:
Describe some of the societal factors that may be impacting rates of HIV infection among gay/bisexual men in Kenya.
Describe a new socioecological model of sexual risk and resilience among gay/bisexual men in Kenya.
Discuss ways in which the new socioecological model of sexual risk and resilience can be applied to the development of innovative HIV prevention interventions.
Keyword(s): HIV/AIDS, International
Presenting author's disclosure statement:Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I have been working in the field of HIV prevention for more than 20 years, and have been the PI on several federal grants focused on HIV prevention for adolescents and young adults. I have been conducting HIV prevention work in Kenya since 2004. I also have been conducting LGBT health research for many years.
Any relevant financial relationships? No
I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines,
and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed
in my presentation.
