Access to HIV Services for Mobile and Migrant Populations in Antigua

that most MSM’s are very particular and in his opinion, more cleanconscious
than some women.
e. Respect towards MSM – “We want to be treated the same as anyone else
who is spending our money at their business place”.
“We don’t want to be looked at differently or have to put up with any
snide comments”
f. Friendly staff – the participant who mentioned this, when asked what he
meant, he stated “people who greet us nicely and don’t ignore us”.
6. Where do you get condoms?
• 3H Network - free
• Bars – buy them
• Caribbean HIV/AIDS Alliance (CHAA) - free
• Supermarket – buy them
7. Where do you get information on HIV/AIDS?
Internet – most participants explained feeling self-conscious asking about
HIV/AIDS for fear that people thought that they “had it”. So if they had night
of unsafe sex and felt sick after, they would Google whatever symptom they
were experiencing to see if it fit the description of an HIV+ person. That led to
a side discussion on the fear most of them experienced at having to get tested
for HIV. Six of them had been tested at least once in their lives and two had
not. They felt very anxious about being tested, but one stated “if I got precounselling,
he felt slightly better”. Most of them said that if they used
condoms all the time, they didn’t feel like they needed to get tested again. The
older MSM in the group reminded them that they needed to get tested
periodically as even if you are positive, it might not show up right away.
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