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Research documenting the impact of COVID-19 on Two-Spirit, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (2SLGBTQ+) populations in Canada is limited. Our objectives were to investigate the impact of COVID-19 lockdown measures on the lives of trans, nonbinary, and other gender nonconforming (TGNC) people. Engage COVID-19 is a mixed methods study examining the impact of COVID-19 on gay, bisexual, queer, and other men who have sex with men (GBQM) living in Vancouver, Toronto, and Montreal, Canada. Using purposive sampling, we conducted in-depth qualitative interviews (between November 2020-February 2021 and June-October 2021) with 93 participants who discussed the impact of COVID-19 on their lives. Seventeen participants were identiAed as TGNC. TGNC participants reported barriers to trans healthcare during the initial months of the COVID-19 pandemic. Several participants indicated that some public health interventions during COVID-19 (i.e., lockdowns) eased the pressure to "perform" gender due to fewer in-person interactions. During lockdowns, TGNC participants increasingly cultivated community networks online. Nevertheless, participants reported longing for the social support that was available to them during pre-COVID. Lack of access to community spaces during lockdowns had a negative impact on participants' mental health, despite reduced pressure to perform gender and opportunities for social engagement in online spaces.
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The proceedings contain 22 papers. The topics discussed include: heard but not seen: experiences of telehealth by people living with HIV (PLHIV) in COVID times;clinical guidelines: their influence on HIV-related legal proceedings;examining HIV anxiety in gay men as an embodied response to the AIDS crisis;weight and lipid changes in phase 3 cabotegravir and rilpivirine long-acting trials;comparison of viral replication for the 2-drug regimen (2DR) of dolutegravir/lamivudine;lifetime cost of HIV management in Australia: a modelling study;Intentions for future use of PrEP following COVID-19 restrictions: results from the Flux Study of gay and bisexual men in Australia;associations between social capital and HIV risk-taking behaviors among men who have sex with men in Japan;HIV testing, treatment and viral suppression among men who have sex with men (MSM) in five countries: results of the Asia Pacific MSM Internet Survey;sustained higher levels of intracellular HIV-1 RNA transcript activity in viral blip patients;and lost in translation: preventing the meanings of sexual and reproductive health from being lost during the translation of national surveys.
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The burden of the pandemic is more pronounced among vulnerable and marginalized groups in the society, who, in the context of complex disadvantages, do not have the means to cope with the multifaceted disruptions in the labour market, food and health system, and their social networks. The pandemic and different measures taken by the Ethiopian government including State of Emergency (SOE) and strategies to contain COVID-19 affect all citizens in general and LGB in particular. This mixed methods study seeks to assess the impact of COVID-19 and the wide socio-economic and political upheaval associated with the State of Emergency Proclamation on the lives of LGBs in Ethiopia. The research combines phone surveys involving 200 LGB and qualitative interviews with 12 LGB. Most of the participants reported experiencing drastic changes in their lives since the advent of COVID-19. The most reported as well as the worst experiences include unemployment/ reduced income and food/housing insecurity;fear of COVID-19 infection or death;inability to continue normal daily life, social and intimate relationship;and change in living arrangement. A small proportion of participants also mentioned violence. The study confirmed the precarious situation of sexual minorities in times of crisis. The ongoing war since Nov.2020 and resulting insecurity have led to disruption and destruction of the economy, social and health services;and deterioration of peace and security with significant bearing on marginalized groups. Long standing and entrenched stigma and widely held notions of heteronormativity have relegated LGB in Ethiopia to the margins of society. The pandemic and subsequent SOE and internet interruptions have pushed LGB into further physical, social, and economic vulnerabilities and marginalization. Within the LGB group, the impact varies across individuals based on their socioeconomic and health standing. The situation calls for concerted policy measures to address economic, social, and health determinants.
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The COVID-19 pandemic represents a “perfect storm” as far as risk for intimate partner violence (IPV). Further, abusive partners may engage in novel forms of coercive control during the pandemic, such as pressuring their partners to engage in behaviors that place them at risk for COVID-19 infection (e.g., not wearing a mask, attending a social gathering). Individuals already at elevated risk for IPV, such as LGBQ+ individuals, are also likely more vulnerable to experiencing these novel forms of IPV. Further, experiences of IPV are likely to be associated with several negative health outcomes, including hazardous drinking. The current study examined the frequency of experiencing five forms of COVID-specific IPV, and the association of COVID-specific IPV with hazardous drinking among a sample of 500 dating/partnered LGBQ+ college students attending eight US universities. Participants completed an online survey in the fall of 2020 as part of a larger study on IPV among LGBQ+ college students. Most participants were women (72.4%), followed by men (13.6%), and trans or gender diverse (TGD;12.8%). Most described their sexual orientation as bisexual/pansexual (66.8%), followed by lesbian (9.4%), asexual (8.4%), gay (6.8%), or another sexual identity (e.g., demisexual, queer;8.6%). Additionally, most were White and non-Latinx (65.7%) followed by Latinx (14.4%), multiracial/multiethnic (7.2%), and Asian/Asian American (5.8%). A total of 19.4% of participants reported experiencing at least one form of COVID-specific IPV from their partners, including being pressured to not socially distance (9.6%), to attend a large gathering (9.4%), to not wear a mask (7.2%), to see their partner when their partner may have been exposed to COVID-19 (7.2%), and to engage in sexual activity with their partner when their partner may have been exposed to COVID-19 (3.2%). Individuals who had experienced COVID-specific IPV were significantly more likely to report past six-month hazardous drinking on the AUDIT-5 than those who had not experienced COVID-specific IPV (34.2% versus 20.1%). Future work should evaluate the role of IPV, including novel forms of coercive control during the COVID-19 pandemic, on negative health outcomes, including alcohol use, particularly among already vulnerable and marginalized populations. Tailored interventions may be necessary to adequately address the health needs of these populations during the pandemic.
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Background: The current scarcity of research surrounding sexual minorities has yielded an incomplete picture of their health needs, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Household Pulse Survey (HPS) was launched in April of 2020 to efficiently understand the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on households and was recently expanded to include questions related to sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI). Aim: In this study, we examined the mental health of sexual minorities (gay/lesbian and bisexual) in the United States compared with heterosexual peers during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: This study used data from 357,939 heterosexual adults, 13,293 gay/lesbian adults, and 12,856 bisexual adults aged 18 years and older surveyed in waves 34-39 from the HPS. We compared anxiety and depression (calculated using the PHQ-2 and GAD-2), as well as access to and utilization of mental health treatment between sexual minority and heterosexual adults using multivariable logistic regression models controlling for sociodemographic characteristics. Results: After adjusting for sociodemographic characteristics, gay men had higher odds of experiencing both anxiety (OR=1.798, p<0.001) and depression (OR=1.603, p<0.001) than heterosexual men. Bisexual men experienced similar disparities of a greater magnitude for anxiety (OR=2.453, p<0.001) and depression (OR=2.309, p<0.001). Lesbian women also had higher odds of experiencing anxiety (OR=1.762, p<0.001) and depression (OR=1.740, p<0.001) than heterosexual women. Bisexual women experienced similar disparities of a greater magnitude for both anxiety (OR=2.084, p<0.001) and depression (OR=2.386, p<0.001). These disparities are not restricted to the prevalence of anxiety and depression but are instead also reflected in health access measures. Unmet mental health care needs displayed similar disparities: gay (OR=2.482, p<0.001) and bisexual (OR=2.644, p<0.001) men had higher odds of reporting this outcome than heterosexual men. Similarly, lesbian (OR=2.009, p<0.001) and bisexual (OR=2.092, p<0.001) women had higher odds of reporting unmet mental health care needs than heterosexual women. Discussion and Limitations: Although we used weighting to generate nationally representative estimate, important limitations include possible selection bias (owing to low survey response rate). Causal associations cannot be assumed given the repeated cross-section design and because sexual minority respondents may be different from heterosexual respondents in ways not accounted for. Implications for Health Care Provision and Use: Practitioners and public health leaders should be mindful of sexual minority vulnerabilities when developing targeted treatment plans, public health campaigns, and interventions to combat the mental health effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Implications for Health Policies: These results establish that sexual minorities are extremely vulnerable in the area of mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic and that they are experiencing disproportionate gaps in access to care. Policymakers must consider the access gaps faced by this population when designing policies to combat the mental health effects of the COVID-19. Implications for Further Research: The health of gender minorities during the COVID-19 pandemic is a crucial and understudied topic. Additionally, further research can explore what this novel data source can tell us about other factors that may be contributing to sexual minority mental health disparities during the COVID-19 pandemic, including employment differences, housing disparities, and food insecurity.
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Although cultural expectations in the United States prescribe that parents should be monogamous, data suggest that many parents, including and perhaps especially same-sex attracted parents, navigate consensual nonmonogamy (CNM) in their relationships. This dissertation used online surveys and phone interviews to expand our understanding of same-sex attracted parents and their partners in CNM relationships. In Article 1, I examine intersections between CNM relationships and parenting practices among 86 parents and their partners, attending to the ways that participants produce parental and familial identities, structure their families, organize care responsibilities, and negotiate stigma. Article 2 focuses on experiences with mental health care providers, as reported by 65 parents in CNM relationships and their partners. In Article 3, I explore the specific impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on 70 parents in CNM relationships - a demographic who may have been uniquely impacted by public health guidelines to physically distance from those outside of their household. In each article, participants invested in projects of care (e.g., for themselves, their children, and partners) within mononormative social contexts. Participants resisted stigmatizing power structures through integrating parenthood with CNM relationship practices, transforming what it means to be a "good parent," being open with or challenging mental health care providers, and connecting in innovative ways with non-cohabiting partners to "keep CNM alive." This dissertation communicates several strengths and needs of CNM families, providing further insights into how service providers and mental health care professionals can best support these parents and their interpersonal networks. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)
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BACKGROUND: Latinx gay, bisexual, and other sexual minority men are disproportionately affected by HIV in the United States. As Latinx sexual minority men, particularly those who are foreign-born, experience inequitable access to health services, tailored strategies to engage them for HIV prevention are urgently needed. OBJECTIVE: Our study seeks to address the need for enhanced access to HIV prevention among Latinx immigrant sexual minority men. We developed and piloted a culturally sensitive technology-based campaign focused on HIV testing and pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) uptake. METHODS: We used a two-phase approach to assess the feasibility of community-informed social media content in engaging Latinx immigrant sexual minority men for HIV testing and PrEP use. First, we conducted three iterative focus groups with 15 Latinx immigrant sexual minority men to refine the HIV prevention content to be piloted on social media platforms. The finalized content was placed on Instagram and Facebook for 9 days in July and September 2021 to individuals who were in Washington State. Individuals who clicked on the content were directed to a website with additional HIV prevention information. Second, we conducted online surveys (n=60) with website visitors that assessed sociodemographic characteristics, barriers to HIV prevention, and HIV-related transmission risk and prevention behaviors. We conducted descriptive analyses to examine the overall profile of survey respondents and determine the feasibility of culturally informed social media content in reaching Latinx immigrant sexual minority men. RESULTS: Overall, 739 unique users visited the website during the 9-day period when the social media content was posted on Instagram and Facebook. Our sample included 60 Latinx immigrant sexual minority men who completed the online survey. Participants' mean age was 30.8 years and more than half (n=34, 57%) completed the survey in Spanish. A quarter of participants indicated that they were unauthorized immigrants and 57% (n=34) reported not having medical insurance. Participants reported, on average, having 6 different sexual partners in the last 6 months. Nearly a third of respondents had not tested for HIV in the last 6 months. Only about half (n=32, 53%) of respondents had used PrEP in the last 12 months. CONCLUSIONS: Community-driven social media and web-based strategies are feasible ways to engage Latinx immigrant sexual minority men who may traditionally lack access to HIV prevention information and services due to structural and social barriers. The results highlight that culturally relevant social media and web-based outreach strategies that are informed and developed by the community can reach Latinx immigrant sexual minority men for HIV prevention. Findings underscore the need to examine the effectiveness of social media content in promoting HIV testing and PrEP uptake in marginalized Latinx populations.
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[...]Cai Yiping's News and Views offers a nuanced engagement with the Chinese government's formal proclamations on women's rights.1 In the first essay, "Flexible Intimacies in the Global Intimate Economy: Evidence from Taiwan's Cross-Border Marriages," Mei-Hua Chen and Hong-zen Wang demonstrate the fallacy of treating cross-border marriages and cross-border sex work as separate as well as grouping women dichotomously under one or the other set of practices. Most migrant men experience a profound sense of emasculation as they struggle against the exclusionary forces of what Cheng calls the "racial-border regime." Because these men tend to embrace idealized roles of husband, father, and breadwinner, many experience an "existential dislocation" in Hong Kong that manifests as unending dependence and uncertainty. While these gay parents believe it is only natural to desire children, they also seek a genetic link with their offspring, a Eurasian biological mixture for their children, and a normative family life that, they hope, will lead to greater acceptance in Chinese society. According to Liu, the Chinese state champions "equality between men and women" as a means to justify its leadership in the Global South, but it will not embrace "gender equality," which might include transgender rights, same-sex marriage, reproductive freedom, battles against the policing of gender expression, and new configurations of family and kinship.
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Introduction: The end of the 2000s was marked by an important turning point in HIV management: HIV-positive people on effective antiretroviral treatment whose viral load is biologically undetectable no longer transmit the virus. These advances are at the origin of the research's initial question: what remains of the social stigma associated with HIV? Does the achievement or the prospect of achieving an undetectable viral load allow for the disappearance of the subjective experiences of shame and/or stigmatization described up to now in sociological studies and more broadly in public health data? Materials and methods: This article presents the main results of a thesis on the sociological analysis of gay men's experiences of being HIV-positive. A qualitative longitudinal study conducted during the first two years following the medical diagnosis combines repeated biographical interviews (n=35) with these men and multi-sited observations within the different spaces they frequent and cross (department of infectious and tropical diseases, associations related to HIV-AIDS and/or LGBT, spaces of sociability, private spheres of friendship, family and couple).
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Introduction - The CeGIDDs are centres of information, screening and diagnosis for HIV, viral hepatitis and bacterial sexually transmitted infections (STIs), a network of French free-to-use clinics created in 2016. This article describes the characteristics of CeGIDD visitors as well as the screening and diagnostic activities carried out by the structures for the year 2020, comparing them with 2018. Method - We present a repeated cross-sectional study, based on continuous monitoring data from the SurCeGIDD system, which relies on the secure transmission of individual visitor data according to a predefined format. The socio-demographic and behavioural data of the visitors, and their reasons for consultation, are described. The proportions of visitors tested and the positivity rates for HIV, hepatitis B (HBV) and C (HCV), syphilis, gonococcus (NG), Chlamydia trachomatis (CT) and Mycoplasma genitalium (MG) are described according to sexual practices. Results - In 2020, 336,333 consultations were reported by 50.3% of the 336 CeGIDDs identified in 2020. Attendance at CeGIDDs fell sharply in the second quarter of 2020 (-58% compared to the first quarter). In 2020, the visitors were mostly men (62.1%) and young people under 30 (64.5%). About a quarter (23.5%) of the visitors were born abroad. The proportion of men having sex with men (14.8%) and trans people (0.38%) had increased compared to 2018. The most frequent reasons for consultation remained risk exposure (60.4%) and systematic screening (43.3%). Some reasons for consultation increased between 2018 and 2020, such as initiating or monitoring a post-exposure prophylaxis. An increase in positivity rate between 2018 and 2020 is observed for HIV (from 0.37% to 0.41%), but especially for NG (from 2.8% to 4.0%), undoubtedly related to changes in visitor characteristics. At the same time, positivity rates decreased for HBV (from 1.3% to 0.93%) and HCV (from 0.94% to 0.60%). They are relatively stable for CT (7.0% in 2020), MG (6.8%) and syphilis (1.0%). Conclusion - Despite a drop in consultations in 2020 related to the COVID-19 pandemic, the CeGIDDs continued to carry out their screening/diagnostic missions in a comprehensive sexual health approach. SurCeGIDD surveillance provides elements for monitoring the national sexual health strategy, hence the need to improve the comprehensiveness and completeness of the data collected.
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INTRODUCTION: The COVID-19 pandemic drastically altered the way of life around the world. Due to social distancing measures, contact restrictions and fears of infection, social life has changed significantly. These measures along with the stressors associated with the current worldwide situation, will inevitably have an effect on people's interpersonal and personal behaviors. AIM: This study evaluates the effect the COVID-19 pandemic and nationwide German lockdown had on the sexual behavior of cis men. METHODS: An anonymous nationwide web-based questionnaire was conducted among cis men in Germany during the first COVID-19 home isolation (April 20, 2020-July 20, 2020). The questionnaire was distributed via e-mail, online chats and social-media platforms. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Data was collected on general characteristics including demographics and socio-economic backgrounds. To evaluate sexual health, questions from the Sexual Behavior Questionnaire were included. RESULTS: 523 cis male participated. 414 met the inclusion criteria. Most were heterosexual (n = 248, 59.9%; vs homosexual n = 97, 23.4%; vs bisexual n = 69, 16.7%). 243 (59%) were employed, 153 (37.1%) were students and 16 (3.9%) were unemployed. Most of the participants reported an annual income lower than 75.000. During the lockdown, average weekly frequency of sexual intercourse and masturbation was increased in all groups. Consistently, a significant rise of higher satisfaction with the frequency of sexual contacts during the quarantine was observed (P < .05). Furthermore, the level of sexual arousal increased significantly in all groups (P < .0005). Capability to enjoy sexual intercourse or masturbation increased significantly in heterosexual (P < .0005) and homosexual men (P < .005). Bisexual participants showed a significant increase in general satisfaction with sexual life (P < .05) and a significant decrease in satisfaction in relationship or single life (P < .05). Positive confounders in the changing of sexual behavior during the COVID-19 pandemic were: Being in a relationship or being single, parenthood and being employed. CONCLUSION: Our study firstly describes how COVID-19 pandemic related restrictions and social distancing measurements altered sexual behavior amongst cis male in Germany. Further studies, including sexual minorities specifically, are needed to clarify if the behavior in the first German nationwide quarantine has persisted or transformed as the pandemic proceeded. Mumm J-N, Vilsmaier T, Schuetz JM, et al. How the COVID-19 Pandemic Affects Sexual Behavior of Hetero-, Homo-, and Bisexual Males in Germany. Sex Med 2021;9:100380.