Barriers to HIV testing among people born in sub-Saharan Africa and South East Asia

Year

2017-2018.

Project status

Complete.

Ethics approval

Approved by the Curtin Human Research Ethics Committee (HREC number HRE2017-0088).

SiREN investigators

Ms Corie Gray (Curtin University), Ms Gemma Crawford (Curtin University), Dr Roanna Lobo (Curtin University).

Brief overview

HIV notifications among people born in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) and South East Asia (SEA) have increased in Australia in the last decade. People born in these regions have the highest rates of HIV diagnosis by region of birth and are over represented in late or advanced presentation of HIV infection.

Eleven focus groups with 77 migrants from WA, NSW, SA and VIC were conducted, alongside interviews with 11 general practitioners.

The aims of this project were to: 

• To identify barriers and facilitators to HIV testing among SSA and SEA populations (including differences and similarities between jurisdictions and region of birth).
• To assess the knowledge and perceived acceptability of new HIV testing strategies (oral tests, rapid testing, self-testing kits and clinical testing) among SSA and SEA populations (including differences and similarities between jurisdictions and region of birth).
• To identify barriers and motivators to offering HIV testing SSA and SEA populations from the perspective of clinical staff and general practitioners.

Funding

Gilead Sciences Research Fellowship and Healthway Australia Health Promotion Association Graduate Scholarship.

SiREN’s role

SiREN held a supervisory role to support the research.

Project outputs and impacts

This research project is a multi-jurisdictional study, involving a collaboration of researchers and community organisations from WA, SA, NSW, and VIC. New testing options for HIV (rapid testing, self-collection kits, and oral testing) have recently become available in Australia. This research addresses a gap in research and practice, and explored enablers and barriers that facilitate testing for migrants from sub-Saharan Africa and South East Asia; and in addition, the barriers that clinical staff and general practitioners experience when referring patients for HIV testing.

Presentations and Posters

• Gray, C., Crawford, G., Lobo, R., Shearer, J., Narciso, L., Oudih, E., Gunaratnam, P., Thorpe, R. General practitioner experiences of testing people born in sub-Saharan Africa and South East Asia for HIV in Australia (Oral). Migration, Ethnicity, Race and Health (Edinburgh, 2018).
• Gray, C., Crawford, G., Lobo, R., Shearer, J., Narciso, L., Oudih, E., Gunaratnam, P., Thorpe, R.  Barriers and enablers to HIV testing among people born in sub-Saharan Africa and South East Asia living in Australia (Poster). Migration, Ethnicity, Race and Health (Edinburgh, 2018).
• Gray, C., Crawford, G., Lobo, R., Shearer, J., Narciso, L., Oudih, E., Gunaratnam, P., Thorpe, R. 4.10-P23 Barriers and enablers to HIV testing among people born in sub-Saharan Africa and South East Asia living in Australia, European Journal of Public Health, Volume 28, Issue suppl_1, 1 May 2018 (Abstract)
• Gray, C., Crawford, G., Lobo, R., Shearer, J., Narciso, L., Oudih, E., Gunaratnam, P., Thorpe, R. 6.5-O7 General practitioner experiences of testing people born in sub-Saharan Africa and South East Asia for HIV in Australia, European Journal of Public Health, Volume 28, Issue suppl_1, 1 May 2018 (Abstract)
• Hosny, A., Gray, C., Crawford, G. Barriers and enablers to HIV testing among women from South East Asia living in WA (Oral). SiREN Symposium (Perth, 2018).
• Gray, C., Sande, V., Crawford, G., Lobo, R., Narciso, L., Oudih, E., Gunaratnam, P., Thorpe, R. Barriers to HIV testing for people born in sub-Saharan Africa and South East Asia: Preliminary findings (Oral). Australasian HIV/AIDS Conference (Canberra, 2017).
• Gray, C., Shearer, J., Crawford, G., Lobo, R., Narciso, L., Oudih, E., Gunaratnam, P., Thorpe, R. GPs experiences of testing people born in sub-Saharan Africa and South East Asia for HIV (Poster). Australasian HIV/AIDS Conference (Canberra, 2017). 
• Hosny, H., Gray, C., Crawford, G. Barriers and enablers to HIV testing among women from South East Asia living in WA (Poster). Australasian HIV/AIDS Conference (Canberra, 2017). 

Publications

• Collaboration for Evidence, Research and Impact in Public Health. 2018. “I want to test but I’m afraid”: Barriers to HIV testing among people born in South East Asia and sub-Saharan Africa: Final report. Perth, WA: Curtin University
• Gray, C., Crawford, G., Lobo, R., Shearer, J., Gunaratnam, P., Thorpe, R. 2017. Barriers to HIV testing among people born in sub-Saharan Africa and South East Asia: Preliminary findings. Perth, WA: Curtin University
• Infographic. What stops people from sub-Saharan Africa and South East Asia from accessing HIV testing in Australia?
• Project overview. Barriers to HIV testing for people born in sub-Saharan Africa and South East Asia.
• Letter announcing release of the final report

In the news

• Calls to approve HIV home testing kits on World AIDS Day. SBS News
• Research Shows HIV Home-Testing Kits Can Reduce Spread Of Virus. Q News Magazine
• Advocates call on government to approve HIV home testing kits. Star Observer

Media Release

• Media Release (1 December, 2017). Research recommends home HIV tests in Australia