KELLY IMATHIU – OUTREACH WORKER

BME/LGBT Vulnerability Duality of Vulnerability: Unpacking the contexts in which BME and LGBT communities immerse and organise within the general public Histories of Oppression

What is Oppression? Oppression is the prolonged unjust treatment and control of people. When people are oppressed they often feel weighed down, either physically or emotionally. Institutional Individual Invisible

Oppression & Increased Health Risks Oppression Feelings of Powerlessness Health Risk Job Discrimination Feeling that You Just Can’t Make Progress Having Unprotected Sex Because You Give Up Name Calling Feelings of Worthlessness Using Drugs to feel better

Eminem - Criminal Lyrics 3M 3M The narratives behind BME communities displayed by Media

Spectra’s Work Community Interest Company Offering services to: MSM (as GMP) BME ( as ACE) Trans* (as Spectrum) All Wandsworth residents (as Brighter Partnership) MSM pan-London (as GMI Partnership)

Our Focus Our Focus To improve the health and well-being of diverse and often marginalised communities by empowering individuals to make positive, informed choices about their health and overall wellbeing. We provide supportive, knowledgeable, non-judgemental and peer-based services. Addresses the following health promoting behaviours: Reducing late diagnosis Reducing HIV stigma Increasing HIV status disclosure Reducing sexual risk behaviours Reducing substance miss-use behaviours Reducing health inequalities

BME AND SEXUAL HEALTH Interactions of BME communities with sexual health services are highly informed from culturally specific and acceptable angles. The way in which Spectra delivers our service is through meaningful engagement with the general public and offering sexual health counselling. Our programming is also highly incentivized as we offer health checks with a condom (and lube) distribution scheme.

Challenges Myths of HIV being generalised to specific minority communities e.g. Gay men The immoralising of HIV, basing the condition on multiple sexual partners and or sex work Multiplicity of sub-cultures in London among sexually diverse communities. (Shortchanged interventions) Lack of knowledge on the transmission routes of the virus, treatment options and accessible points of care Shame, fear and anxiety of the unknown

Conclusion Evidence-based research and interventions led and managed by ethnic minority groups themselves can assist promoting the health and well-being of BME/LGBTQ people. Cultural consciousness strategies can result in sustained improvements in health by fostering positive psychosocial development and engagement in health behaviours. Collaborating with mainstream health organisations into health and well-being interventions for LGBTQ populations is a promising strategy to unveil a variety of historical, political, social, and cultural factors that serve to promote oppression.

Thank YOU! CONTACT INFO