From 22 to 26 July 2024, the 25th International AIDS Conference (AIDS 2024) is taking place in Munich, and ECOM representatives are actively participating in it.
On July 25, Nikolay Lunchenkov, ECOM's LGBT Health Coordinator, presented at the conference a poster presentation on the topic «Prevalence and factors associated with intimate partner violence among pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) users in pre-war Ukraine».
The study, conducted in collaboration with the Technical University of Munich and the University of Connecticut, included 1,176 gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men participating in the PrEP program in Ukraine. The data was collected in January-February 2022, shortly before the start of active hostilities in the country.
Key findings of the study:
- 39% of respondents reported experiencing some form of intimate partner violence in the past six months.
- The most common forms of violence were emotional (27%), sexual (16%), physical (10%) and economic (8%) violence.
- Most of those affected by intimate partner violence had not experienced it before the COVID-19 pandemic.
- The risk of violence increased significantly with risky sexual behavior and with increased psychological or economic pressure due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
"The study highlights the high levels of risk and unfavorable conditions faced by gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men in Ukraine. While intimate partner violence occurred frequently during the COVID-19 pandemic, the vulnerability may be exacerbated even further due to the ongoing war,” said Nikolay Lunchenkov.
Based on the results of the study, key recommendations were put together, including the provision of multi-level and LGBT-sensitive support for PrEP users in Ukraine, as well as the integration of screening for intimate partner violence into routine medical care – in order to identify cases of violence more effectively and facilitate referral of victims to support services.
ECOM's participation in AIDS 2024 and the presentation of this important study highlights the organization's commitment to improving the health and well-being of the LGBT community in the Eastern Europe and Central Asia region.
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