Insiders' Views and Reflections on HIV/AIDS Prevention Targeting Immigrants with Multicultural Background in Sweden, Gothenburg

Abstract

This research sets out from two global phenomena: HIV/AIDS and Migration. HIV/AIDS is perhaps one of the most distressing human suffering globally. Migration is also global phenomena accompanied by rapid human movement in the contemporary world. These two phenomena are deduced to be associated together in “immigrants as risk category for HIV/AIDS” especially in developed countries like Sweden, where HIV prevalence among the native population is low.

This research project explores the views and reflections of insiders’, who are drawn from large group “immigrants”, and are also educators of HIV/AIDS prevention to same group in Gothenburg city of Sweden.

The research employed individual interview and small group discussion research methods and integrates the analysis and discussion with prior research and theoretical considerations from structural to individual level integrating cultural concerns in multilevel framework in the context of HIV prevention targeting immigrants with multicultural background in Gothenburg city of Sweden.

The main findings of the research based on the insiders’ views and reflections include among others: lack of clearly tailored methods of HIV prevention which are culturally sensitive and specific to multicultural immigrant groups, low participation of immigrants and absence of People Living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHAs) participation in the HIV /AIDS prevention. Furthermore, stigma and discrimination appear still in the making; HIV/AIDS and Chlamydia are growing up. On contrary, people especially youngsters in Sweden consider HIV as a “distant disease or problem”. This has been contributing towards Knowledge, Attitude and Practice (KAP) gap for safer sex to prevent from HIV/AIDS pandemic.