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Community Taking Care of Community
Damon Humes (MHS), Kalyani Sanchez, Amor Boykin
In 2006, one-on-one interviews conducted with men who have sex with men (MSM) in South Carolina revealed a growing, younger sub-population of MSM affiliated with the House/Ball community. In a further study among House/Ball affiliated MSM, 17% self-reported being HIV+. Respondents also indicated increased violence, homelessness, STIs, and perceived marginalization. Numerous respondents also indicated histories of childhood sexual abuse. Many community-based organizations seek to address health and human service needs of the broad MSM community, but they are unprepared to engage with and support the specific needs of the House/Ball community. A one-size-fits-all approach to MSM does not work. Providers must: 1) become educated about the psycho-social environment of the House/Ball community, and 2) develop effective strategies and models to engage MSM. This workshop presents strategies used to engage the House/Ball community and provides a comprehensive research model to increase understanding of strategies to engage this growing community in participatory research and programming.
In 2012, the NYC Department of Health & Mental Hygiene released surveillance data indicating that 43% of all new HIV infections occur among African-American MSM. This workshop highlights two of Gay Men’s Health Crisis’s innovative, award winning HIV prevention programs that target young men who have sex with men of color (YMSMOC): Brothers Keeping Brothers Safe (BKBS), and Leaders in Networking and Knowledge (LINK). BKBS is a group-level intervention, while LINK is an individual-level intervention. Both programs work together to ensure that individuals receive HIV and STI testing, refer members of their social network for testing, and empower YMSMOC to be leaders in their community related to HIV prevention and education. Workshop participants will leave with concrete next steps related to engaging, recruiting and retaining YMSMOC in HIV prevention programs.
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