Increasing HIV Awareness of New Volunteers and Participants of LGBTI+ Organisations via Teaching

Duration : 6 months / 18 August 2020 – February 2021

Budget : 61.678 TL

Sponsor : Gilead Sciences

Purpose and Target and Method:

This project aimed to reach the primary target group, consisting of men who have sex with men (MSM), via organizations that represent LGBTI+ people and similar establishments. This way, the latest information about HIV was provided to LGBTI+ organizations and establishments in Turkey. In addition, HIV-related phobia was aimed to be reduced among LGBTI + people and organizations.

The aim was to guide each LGBTI+ to testing, enable early diagnosis, facilitate accessibility to treatment opportunities and at the same time, encourage participants' close relations to test and, possibly, diagnosis.

The project consisted of 4 rounds. After completing the first two rounds, training sessions were announced as "Increasing Awareness Around HIV". This is because, for the first two rounds, people from various professions, including social services experts, psychologists, lawyers, and dieticians, were also eager to apply. Although these people don't work in the LGBTI+ field, they stated their desire to increase their awareness of HIV as their clients or people they provide service to might be a member of the LGBTI+ community.

With training designed in 4 rounds and 18 sessions, it was aimed to reach 300 people across Turkey.

The project's highly experienced team of counsellors and educators consisted of three doctors and a lawyer that have worked in the field of HIV and undertaken various projects for many years.

Results:

Although each session was planned to last 60 minutes, they usually lasted 2-2.5 hours due to the large number of questions from participants. As a result, at the end of the 4th session, a total of 36 hours (2160 minutes) of training was provided in 18 sessions.

62 people for 1st round, 52 for 2nd round, and 94 for 3rd round participated in the training sessions. The participation for 4th round, which consisted of 6 sessions, was 128 people. In total, 336 people participated in the training programme.

Turkish Project Report: https://www.kisa.link/QfNg