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Work package 2

PrEP and people with a migrant background

Brief summary

Work package 2 aims at a better understanding of the barriers to and facilitators for PrEP uptake and use among people with a migrant background. We want to create an evidence base to inform future interventions, make PrEP more accessible for everyone who needs it and improve sexual health for all.  

Main junior researcher: Ella Van Landeghem
Supervisors: Christiana Nöstlinger

Why this research?

For PrEP to reach its full potential, many questions about its implementation need to be answered, including how to ensure equal access for everyone who needs it. So far, migrants have been largely overlooked in PrEP research. Even though people with migrant backgrounds are overrepresented in new HIV diagnoses, they are underrepresented among people coming forward for PrEP. We need to understand this imbalance and investigate the barriers to and facilitators for accessing and using PrEP among people with a migrant background.

Objectives

The overall objective is to find out how PrEP uptake and use among people with a migrant background in Belgium can be improved. More specifically, we will explore the following topics:

  • PrEP acceptability
  • Barriers to PrEP uptake and use
  • Facilitators for PrEP uptake and use

How will this research be done?

This is a qualitative study, which means we try to learn by listening to people’s stories and ideas. We are mainly interested in participants’ experiences with HIV prevention and PrEP, and the meaning they attribute to it.

 

We will use the following data collection techniques:

  • Key informant interviews
  • Focus group discussions
  • In-depth interviews

Our study population includes all people with a migrant background that are vulnerable for HIV. This includes men and women from Sub-Saharan African descent, migrant men who have sex with men and migrant sex workers. 

Expected results and output

We will build an evidence base on:

  • Migrant communities’ barriers to and facilitators for PrEP uptake and use
  • Acceptability of PrEP in migrant communities
  • Feasibility of PrEP implementation in migrant communities
  • Individual barriers and facilitators of PrEP uptake and use among people with a migrant background

These insights will help ensure equal access to PrEP for everyone, regardless of age, gender, ethnicity, migrant background or sexuality.