|
|
Abstract
Stopping stigma with Awaredressers: perceptions of an African community based health promotion project and the local African community on a anti-HIV discrimination campaign in the UK
G A Elam1, L Kawonza2, D King3
1Qualitative Social Policy Research, London, United Kingdom; 2Terrence Higgins Trust, London, United Kingdom; 3Barnet Primary Care Trust, London, United Kingdom
Background: Awaredressers is a community-based project comprising local African businesses working with outreach workers to raise awareness of HIV and distribute condoms in the African community. As part of the Terrence Higgins Trust HIV Prejudice and Discrimination Campaign, Awaredressers volunteers displayed campaign posters. These comprised 3 black and white posters depicting images from civil rights movements with bold captions about forms of prejudice. The posters invited comparisons between racism and HIV discrimination to encourage people to acknowledge and question their prejudices towards people living with HIV. Qualitative research was conducted to explore reactions to the campaign in Barnet, a London borough.
Methods: Thirty in-depth interviews were conducted among Awaredressers outreach workers and volunteers and members of the African community, including people living with HIV. Participants were aged 19 to 60 years from a range of socio-economic backgrounds. The interviews explored perceptions of the posters; attitudes towards HIV and people living with HIV; HIV-related discrimination and underlying beliefs; the impact of the posters; and acceptability of the campaign.
Results: The campaign was welcomed and the images used stirred deep emotions, but there was widespread disquiet regarding the sole use of images of Africans in the posters. Respondents agreed that people living with HIV should not be discriminated against, but among these respondents was lack of confidence in the campaign message that HIV could not be transmitted via social contact. In contrast, respondents that had been exposed to intensive HIV education initiatives did not share fears regarding HIV transmission.
Conclusions: Poster campaigns tackling prejudice are well received, but their impact is dampened by underlying beliefs about the nature of HIV and mistrust of medical advice. African community members welcome interventions for their community, but believed that imagery used in campaigns should show people from a range of backgrounds.
The XV International AIDS Conference
Abstract no.
MoPeE4296
Suggested Citation
" G A Elam , , et al.
Stopping stigma with Awaredressers: perceptions of an African community based health promotion project and the local African community on a anti-HIV discrimination campaign in the UK.
Poster Exhibition:
The XV International AIDS Conference:
Abstract no.
MoPeE4296"
|
|
|