Sexual and mental health of Black queer communities during the COVID-19 pandemic

COVID-19 has had a large impact on the health and well-being of all people. However, some groups have been impacted more than others. African, Caribbean, and Black people, as well as, two-spirit, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and other gender and sexual diverse people (2SLGBTQ+) have been especially hit hard by COVID-19. This research study wants to understand the experiences of Black 2SLGBTQ+ who live in Ontario during COVID-19. We are especially interested in how Black 2SLGBTQ+ people accessed sexual health resources (HIV testing, PrEP, sex education) and mental health services (peer counselling, therapists, social worker). We want to know how Black 2SLGBTQ+ have survived and thrived during this difficult time. We will invite 64 Black 2SLGBTQ+ people to participate in community discussions to talk about their experiences during COVID19. The discussions will take about 1.5-2 hours and participants will be compensated for their time. We hope that the information shared by participants will help us develop community develop resources and services for Black 2SLGBTQ+ people in Ontario.