• LGBTQ people from BME communities are statistically less likely to engage with sexual health services due to barriers such as homophobia, stigma, fear of being judged, social exclusion and social deprivation.
• In many BME communities, men who have sex with men may not use the terms ‘gay’ or ‘bisexual’ to describe themselves. Good practice is to use the term ‘Men who have Sex with Men’ (MSM) rather than gay or bisexual men.
• We are aware of these barriers and have sensitively developed specialist services to help reach out to the African and Afro Caribbean community.
• According to the National AIDS Trust(NAT), the proportion of late diagnoses in 2015 was particularly high among black African (53%), followed by black other (49%), Asian (47%) and black Caribbean (46%) ethnicities.
• Late diagnosis greatly impedes on response to treatment & quality of life.

We have BAME specialist services at Birmingham LGBT Centre, aimed at LGBT people within the African and Afro-Caribbean communities. 

These services include:

• A specialist BME Sexual Health Worker
• Free rapid HIV tests & general STI Screening
• Confidential 1 to 1 support sessions with a knowledgeable & non-judgmental specialist sexual health worker
• Referral pathways to relevant organisations / health care services in case of a diagnosis
• Free condoms & lube
• Free discreet condoms by post services
• Outreach and STI screening at local community events and venues (on invitation)
• A confidential monthly meet-up safe space (UNUH) for Men who have Sex with Men (MSM) to discuss all matters pertaining to sexual health & harm reduction.

Our BME Health Promotion worker being from the community themselves fully understands the hurdles & barriers that BME LGBT people face in accessing sexual health services & their main role is to encourage greater engagement & at ultimately reduce late diagnosis of HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases (STIs) amongst LGBT members of the Afro-Caribbean & African communities.

A Safe & Non-judgemental Space To Share Experiences With Other Afro-Caribbean & African Gay, Bisexual or Questioning Men.

Meeting monthly – please get in touch for an update on dates, times & location (to be chosen by group members)

Topics of discussion may include :

• Sexual health (HIV & S.T.Is)
• The complexities of being a Black Gay, Bisexual, Trans or Questioning Man
• Self Esteem
• Relationships
• Homophobia
• Safety Online
• Self Affirmation

Please feel free to come along, call 0121 643 0821 for more details

Email: sexualhealth@blgbt.org