Access barriers for Men who have Sex with Men for HIV testing and treatment in Curitiba (PR)

Abstract

More than half of new HIV infections in 2018 were among key populations, including gay men and other men who have sex with men (MSM). Stigma can have a series of behavioral consequences, reflecting negatively on the lives of individuals and can be translated into barriers to access to public health services. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the main barriers to accessing HIV testing at a Curitiba Testing and Counseling Center and the linkage of gay men and other MSM with the health service for early HIV treatment. Primary data were collected following qualitative method, triangulating the techniques of field observations, document analysis and interviews. The results point to

lack of trained professionals, difficulty in receiving health services, acceptance of sexuality, fear of results, lack of information as the main barriers to MSM to be tested. Difficulty in accepting the diagnosis, prejudice and discrimination, were some barriers encountered to start treatment. It can be concluded that the expansion of access to guarantee the rights of those who actually have more difficulty in entering SUS health care services is still a major challenge.