Search

Despite a theoretical shift toward anti-racism, racial projects within social work assert public positions against structural racism, while upholding mechanisms that perpetuate its existence. Analyzing the perceptions and intentions of incoming white liberal social work students is necessary for any effort to deconstruct racial projects in the social work profession. The sample used in the present study is composed of a white (n = 139), mostly liberal-identified (84%) group of incoming first year MSW students. Students were asked to provide open-ended responses to a vignette about a Black mother engaging with Child Protective Services (CPS). The vignette was designed to assess structural analysis and decision-making in response to real-world examples of racism and anti-Blackness. The study employed semantic thematic analysis to describe the ways social work students make meaning of the vignette and how this process informs their proposed actions. Students varied significantly on the level of analysis they provided in response to the vignette. The analysis examines patterns of racial projects across 3 main response categories: 1) Descriptive, 2) Analytical, and 3) Action. This analysis is important for informing pedagogical innovations aimed at training anti-racist and anti-oppressive social workers.

We examined the factors associated with consistent condom use among women engaged in sex work in the Southern parts of Uganda. We used baseline data from a longitudinal study involving WESW from 19 hotspots in Southern Uganda. We conducted hierarchical models to determine the individual, economic, behavioral, and health-related factors associated with consistent condom use. We found that, alcohol use (b=−0.48, 95% CI=−0.77, −0.19), accepting money for condomless sex (b=−0.33, 95% CI=−0.38, −0.28), multiple customers (b=−0.01, 95% CI=−0.01, −0.005), being married (b = 0.50, 95% CI = 0.01, 0.99), owning more assets (b = 0.08, 95% CI = 0.05, 0.13), having another income earner in the household (b = 0.55, 95% CI = 0.27, 0.83), condom use self-efficacy (b = 0.11, 95% CI = 0.03, 0.19), condom use communication (b = 0.06, 95% CI = 0.001, 0.12), and being knowledgeable about HIV/STIs transmission (b = 0.08, 95% CI = 0.01, 0.15) were associated with consistent condom use. Additionally, 29% of the women were consistent condom users. Hence, there is need to implement interventions that promote consistent condom use among WESW.

Introduction: HIV continuum of care consists of five steps needed to effectively treat and prevent the spread of HIV. Linkage to and retention of patients to this Continuum of Care is a global priority. However, the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the quality of this Continuum, as people living with HIV, have had to shelter reducing their access to services. As well, HIV agencies have had to close, reduce hours, and shift personnel. Purpose and Methods: The purpose of this descriptive cross-sectional study was to examine the person-centered referral-making behaviors and patterns used by providers to engage patients in the care continuum. Three classes of linkage behaviors among 285 providers in 34 community agencies in New York City were identified using latent class analysis. Results: These linkage behaviors include High (48%); Moderate (34%); and Low (18%). Both High and Moderate consisted of a blend of active and passive strategies and tracking systems. The High included more active strategies such as escorting patients to appointments. Linkage class membership was significantly associated with frequency of linkages to primary care (p=.020). COVID-19 disruptions demonstrate how the Care Continuum has been undermined by insufficient organizational resources. Conclusion: Findings suggest, addresses gaps in linkages should enhance the overall Continuum of Care provided to individuals diagnosed and living with HIV.

Background Little is known about the prevalence of intimate partner violence (IPV) or client violence, and associated HIV risk among women who engage in sex work (WESW) and use drugs in Kazakhstan, despite a growing HIV epidemic. Methods Women who reported engaging in sex work and using illicit drugs were recruited from Almaty and Temirtau, Kazakhstan between 2015 and 2017. A cross-sectional analysis was conducted to determine prevalence and correlates of physical and sexual violence perpetrated by intimate partners and clients. Associations between each type of violence with sexual and drug-related HIV risk behaviors were assessed with negative-binomial and logistic regression models, respectively. Results Of the 400 women, 45% and 28% reported recent IPV and client violence, respectively. IPV and client violence was associated with a greater number of sex work clients [IPV: adjusted incidence rate ratio (aIRR)physical: 1.86, 1.28–2.71; aIRRsexual: 2.28, 1.56–3.35]; [client violence: aIRRphysical: 2.20, 1.44–3.42; aIRRsexual: 2.54, 1.72–3.83], and client violence was associated with greater frequency of condomless sex with clients [aIRRphysical: 2.33, 1.41–4.03; aIRRsexual: 2.16, 1.35–3.56]. Violence was not associated with injection drug use, despite exchanging sex for drugs being associated with higher odds of violence. Conclusion HIV prevention programs for WESW in Kazakhstan should consider multi-sectoral approaches that address economic hardship and relationship-based components, in addition to violence reduction.