Winston Husbands
Dr. Winston Husbands holds a PhD in Economic Geography from the University of Western Ontario. He is the Director of Research and Program Development at the AIDS Committee of Toronto (ACT) and co-Chair of the African and Caribbean Council on HIV/AIDS in Ontario (ACCHO). He is one of three OHTN Community Scholars and a member of the OHTN Research Advisory Committee.
Research
Winston specializes in research related to HIV prevention for gay and bisexual men, stigma and discrimination, and support services for people with HIV/AIDS. As part of his work with ACCHO and ACT, he was involved in the MaBwana Black Men’s Study which investigated prevention campaigns and their impact on Black, African and Caribbean men who have sex with men (BMSM). The study conducted 168 surveys and 24 in depth interviews with men recruited from bars, bathhouses, over the phone and at PRIDEfest. The study began to unravel the complexities of ethnoracial and sexual identities: only 86% of the sample of BMSM identified as gay or bisexual. The findings also revealed a high level of commitment among BMSM to HIV/AIDS as a personal and community issue, although this sentiment is not always matched by behavior.
Findings
A selection of his recent publications includes:
Impact
Winston’s work has been instrumental in identifying and understanding who is at risk for HIV infection and why, particularly within the Black, African and Caribbean communities in Toronto. He has been a galvanizing force behind research development in the community and his insights have spurred new research in the field. He plays a key role in the ACCHO, including organizing the ACCHO think tank in the spring of 2009 and the ongoing Ethnoracial MSM Working Group. His role at ACT has ensured that program development is informed by research and the voices of people with HIV.