Exploring the attitude and knowledge (s) of HIV prevention of young, internal ( South African) migrant, Black men who self-identify as gay in Johannesburg: implications for the development of South Africa's Pre Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) Programme

• Main Author: Nyasulu, Derick Mac Donald
• Format: Others
• Language: en
• Published: 2018
• Subjects: AIDS (Disease) > South Africa > Prevention; HIV infections > South Africa > Johannesburg > Prevention; Young gay men > South Africa > Johannesburg; Sexually transmitted diseases > South Africa > Johannesburg; Immigrants > South Africa > Johannesburg
• Online Access: Nyasulu, Derick Mac Donald (2017) Exploring the attitude and knowledge (s) of HIV prevention of young, internal ( South African) migrant, Black men who self-identify as gay in Johannesburg: implications for the development of South Africa's Pre Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) Programme, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, <https://hdl.handle.net/10539/24568>; https://hdl.handle.net/10539/24568

The World Health Organisation Commission for the Social Determinants of Health (CSDH, 2008) report calls upon the need to consider the social determinants of health, including migration in health planning. Unfortunately, the introduction of Pre Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) in South Africa is being framed as a stand-alone intervention without incorporating the social determinants of health i.e. migration and structural drivers of HIV, despite numerous evidence of failure of one-dimensional HIV approaches. The study aimed to explore the attitudes and knowledge (s) of HIV prevention amongst young, internal migrant, Black self-identifying gay men and its implications for PrEP. This study used an interpretive qualitative approach by conducting 12 in-depth interviews with both men who have sex with men (MSM) who self-identify as gay individuals and experts working in the field of HIV. Social determinants of health like migration and homophobic attitudes both within the health care system and beyond could impact the uptake of PrEP and continuity access for PrEP among MSM who self-identity as gay within the context of circular migration. Likewise, the study highlights structural drivers of HIV that if left unaddressed could also have a bearing on PrEP as an HIV intervention vis-à-vis PrEP uptake and continuity to PrEP access within a context of circular migration. Using Weiss (1979) interactive model, the study points out the need for all actors involved in policy making to take into account evidence, such as empirical data, best practices, insights from various stakeholders as a basis upon which South Africa’s PrEP policy/programme can be based on. === A research report submitted to the Faculty of Humanities, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts (Development Studies), November 2017 === GR2018