Project Title
HIV-Response Intergenerational Participation (HIP) Intervention among Heterosexual Black Men and Communities in Ontario, Canada
( HIP Project )
Project Leads
Egbe B. Etowa, Roger Antabe; Priscilla Boakye and Josephine Pui-Hing Wong
Objectives
The objectives of the HIP Project are: (1) to advance critical HIV health literacy among heterosexual Black men and communities; (20 to engage heterosexual Black men, community leaders, and stakeholders in co-designing the HIP intervention to reduce HIV vulnerabilities and promote community resilience; (3) to pilot the HIP intervention with heterosexual Black men of diverse ages and assess its acceptability, feasibility, and effectiveness; and (4) to apply study results to refine the HIP intervention for potential scale-up in Ontario and Canada.
Background
Black men and their communities are more affected by HIV. Although they constitute less than 5% of the Ontarian population, they accounted for 26% of new HIV diagnoses in 2015, nearly half of which (48.6%) were attributed to heterosexual contact. HIV stigma and discrimination reinforce African, Caribbean, and Black men’s HIV vulnerability by creating unsafe environments that deter them from testing and disclosure, resulting in isolation, depression, delayed diagnosis and linkage to treatment and care, and poor health outcomes. In response to these challenges, intergenerational strategies were identified from previous community-based participatory studies as best practices to reduce HIV vulnerabilities and promote resilience among heterosexual Black men and communities. The proposed intervention is premised on this recommendation of intergenerational intervention.
Methods
The HIP study consists of two phases: (1) we are applying community-engagement and co-design approaches to engage 24 self-identified heterosexual Black men(HBM) in in 8 weekly sessions to evaluate existing evidence of effective HIV health literacy interventions, identify essential and relevant aspects, and work collaboratively to co-design the HIV-Response Intergenerational Participation (HIP) Intervention for use with Black men and communities; (2) we will pilot the HIP intervention with 24 HBM to promote critical health literacy on structural determinants of HIV vulnerabilities, and access to HIV resources in prevention, testing, and the care cascade among HBM and communities. We will evaluate the acceptability, effectiveness, and feasibility of HIP using questionnaires with validated scales, focus groups, and process documentation.
Current Status
Phase One is underway.
Expected completion
October 2024
Co-researchers & Partners
Black Coalition for AIDS Prevention, Toronto ; Committee for Accessible AIDS Treatment, Toronto; African and Caribbean Council on HIV/AIDS in Ontario (ACCHO), Toronto; Youth Connection Association, Windsor Ontario; Regional HIV/AIDS Connection, London Ontario; Canadians of African Descent Health Organization, Ottawa; River Jordan Ministries, Ottawa; and Men of Ministries, Ottawa
Funding
Canadian Institute of Health Research (CIHR)
Key words
Black communities, Black men, community-based participatory project, critical health literacy, HIV-response, intergenerational dialogue, intervention development