Grant: Operating Grant - HIV/AIDS CBR Program - General

This proposed project examines how youth immigrants from African countries in the inner city of Winnipeg, Manitoba, understand HIV as a risk that pertains to them and their lives. The research will explore a hypothesis that for this particular group their uptake of HIV messaging is shaped and in some ways impeded by the ways that HIV risk in various discourses is linked to African countries and African people. The project builds on previous research partnerships with community organizations and community members that explored the social determinants of HIV and risk prevention for this at risk group of youth immigrants from HIV-endemic countries. Our research gave a clear indication that HIV is not an issue that is talked about in their communities and that one of the reasons has to do with the racialized stigma associated with HIV as a set of representations or discourses. Now moving forward in the multiyear research project, we aim to use qualitative research methods with community members as peer researchers to highlight the experiences and perspectives of African newcomer youth as active social actors in the negotiation of sexualities and sexual decision-making. To show how youths' sexual self-understandings are influenced by sexual health discourses, a second research strategy will use media analysis methods to gather data on the specific discourses, also by training a youth as a peer researcher. Immigrant and refugee youth from African communities are involved in all phases of the project. The PI, a cultural anthropologist with the University of Manitoba, will lead the project in partnership with local community-organizations and university members, Dr Lorway, a medical anthropologist from Community Health Sciences at the University of Manitoba, and Dr Bisaillon, from Health Studies at the University of Toronto Scarborough. Two Anthropology graduate trainees will complete their theses.