Palich, Romain;
Rodger, Alison J;
Nicholls, Emily Jay;
Wright, Talen;
Samba, Phil;
Yen-Hao Chu, Isaac;
Burns, Fiona M;
... Witzel, T Charles; + view all
(2024)
Experiences with health care services and HIV testing after sexual assault in cisgender gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men and transgender people.
HIV Medicine
10.1111/hiv.13629.
(In press).
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Abstract
Objectives This qualitative sub-study aimed to explore how cisgender gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (cis-GBMSM) and transgender people who reported non-consensual sex (NCS) accessed health care services, what barriers they faced, and how this experience influenced subsequent HIV testing. Methods SELPHI is an online randomized controlled trial evaluating both acceptability and efficiency of HIV-self testing among cis-GBMSM and transgender people. Semi-structured interviews were conducted, audio-recorded, transcribed, and analysed through a framework analysis, as a qualitative sub-study. We identified narratives of NCS from interviews and investigated experiences of cis-GBMSM and transgender people accessing health care services following sexual assault. Results Of 95 participants, 15 (16%) spontaneously reported NCS. Participants reported a broad range of NCS, including partner's coercive behaviours, non-consensual removal of condoms, and rapes. All feared HIV transmission, leading them to test for HIV, underlining a marked lack of awareness of post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP). Most had negative experiences in communicating with reception staff in sexual health clinics following these incidents. A lack of confidentiality and empathy was described in these situations of psychological distress. Clinic visits were primarily focused on testing for HIV and sexually transmitted infection, and generally no specific psychological support was offered. Getting a negative HIV result was a key step in regaining control for people who experienced NCS. Conclusions Sexual health care providers should take care to more fully address the issue of NCS with cis-GBMSM and transgender people when it arises. Recognizing and managing the emotional impact of NCS on affected patients would prevent negative experiences and increase confidence in care.
| Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Title: | Experiences with health care services and HIV testing after sexual assault in cisgender gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men and transgender people |
| Open access status: | An open access version is available from UCL Discovery |
| DOI: | 10.1111/hiv.13629 |
| Publisher version: | https://doi.org/10.1111/hiv.13629 |
| Language: | English |
| Additional information: | This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. The images or other third-party material in this article are included in the Creative Commons license, unless indicated otherwise in the credit line; if the material is not included under the Creative Commons license, users will need to obtain permission from the license holder to reproduce the material. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ |
| Keywords: | HIV test, men who have sex with men, non-consensual sex, sexual health, United Kingdom |
| UCL classification: | UCL UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Population Health Sciences > Institute for Global Health |
| URI: | https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10188457 |
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