The Study: Examining Black women's experience accessing HIV services in Toronto, CA
The issue: Canada’s public health response to the HIV epidemic includes widespread access to prevention interventions, life-saving treatments and community-driven support and care. However, Black women continue to be disproportionately impacted by HIV, accounting for 36.5% of all reported HIV cases amongst women (2016)1. Yet, there isn’t a coordinated response specifically for Black women who face multiple access barriers to quality HIV prevention, treatment, support and care.
There is growing evidence showing that anti-Black racism not only produces and sustains social and health inequalities for Black women, but also contributes to their higher rates of HIV and poorer health outcomes2,3,4,5,6. Anti-Black racism also shapes the health institutions that coordinate the HIV prevention and treatment services Black women access.
There is growing evidence showing that anti-Black racism not only produces and sustains social and health inequalities for Black women, but also contributes to their higher rates of HIV and poorer health outcomes2,3,4,5,6. Anti-Black racism also shapes the health institutions that coordinate the HIV prevention and treatment services Black women access.
The research: This study aims to examine the ways structural forms of anti-Black racism shape access barriers to HIV services. These factors include institutional practices and policies that influence HIV service development and delivery. By centering the stories, knowledges and histories of Black women, this study also critically explores how Black women experience accessing HIV services and how these experiences inform their HIV prevention and treatment decision-making.
The outcomes: This study can significantly contribute to HIV research and policy responses by a) sharing knowledge on the particular ways Black women experience accessing HIV services, b) describing the processes and practices of racism that sustain barriers to service access, and c) proposing considerations for the development of anti-racist, health-promoting policy that is emancipatory for Black women impacted by HIV.
The Researcher
Tola Mbulaheni is a PhD Candidate in the Social and Behavioural Health Sciences program at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto. Ms. Mbulaheni brings 10 years of research and advocacy work within Black/African women and social contexts of HIV risk and prevention spanning Canada and South Africa. Ms. Mbulaheni is conducting this study for her doctoral research. She is also a burgeoning scholar of critical theories of race and racism including critical race theory and black feminist thought.
The Team
|
Dr. Daniel Grace
Associate Professor University of Toronto |
Dr. Winston Husbands
Senior Scientist Ontario HIV Treatment Network |
Dr. LaRon Nelson
Associate Dean of Global Affairs & Planetary Health Yale University |
|
Dr. Roberta K. Timothy
Assistant Professor University of Toronto |
Dr. OmiSoore Dryden
James R. Johnston Chair in Black Canadian Studies Dalhousie University |
Dr. Lori Chambers
Postdoctoral Fellow University of Toronto |
