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Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: http://hdl.handle.net/11375/26888
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DC FieldValueLanguage
dc.contributor.advisorGreene, Saara-
dc.contributor.authorMishra, Pragya-
dc.date.accessioned2021-09-17T18:04:20Z-
dc.date.available2021-09-17T18:04:20Z-
dc.date.issued2021-
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/11375/26888-
dc.description.abstractThe human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) epidemic has surpassed forty years with many medical advancements in prevention and treatment. Often believed to be at negligible or low risk by society at large, sexual minority women have remained understudied regarding their risk of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs), leaving their sexual health inadequately understood and supported in healthcare and social services. The sexual health of young South Asian sexual minority women, who are multiply minoritized due to their intersecting identities, has been entirely overlooked. This qualitative study aimed to understand the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of young South Asian sexual minority women as it pertains to their HIV/STI risk. Barriers and facilitators to accessing community-based sexual health supports and services were also investigated. A community-engaged approach was taken to develop this study in partnership with the Alliance for South Asian AIDS Prevention to investigate the HIV/STI risk context and sexual health needs of this group residing in the Greater Toronto Area. A maximum variation sampling strategy was used to recruit six young South Asian sexual minority women and semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted to collect narrative data. Narrative analysis of the data found socio-cultural and structural influences which guide the HIV/STI risk context for this group. The participants illuminated an inadequate understanding of sexual health when engaging in sex with women, an overall low HIV/STI risk perception, barriers to adequate sexual healthcare and health promotion resources, and multiple minority stressors which impacted their access to safe sex. These findings have major implications for school-based sexual health education, medical training for healthcare practitioners, and sexual health support and services provided by community-based sexual health organizations in the Greater Toronto Area.en_US
dc.language.isoenen_US
dc.subjectSexual healthen_US
dc.subjectSexually transmitted infections (STI)en_US
dc.subjectHuman immunodeficiency virus (HIV)en_US
dc.subjectSouth Asianen_US
dc.subjectLGBTQ+en_US
dc.subjectSexual minorityen_US
dc.titleA community-engaged study to understand the HIV/STI risk of young South Asian sexual minority women in the Greater Toronto Areaen_US
dc.typeThesisen_US
dc.contributor.departmentHealth Research Methodologyen_US
dc.description.degreetypeThesisen_US
dc.description.degreeMaster of Public Health (MPH)en_US
Appears in Collections:Open Access Dissertations and Theses

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