Sexperts! Disrupting injustice through HIV prevention and legal rights education with transgenders in Thailand

In addition to a growing epidemic of HIV among transgenders in Thailand, a low awareness of how to access justice increases their vulnerability to HIV infection. This paper presents a unique case study of how one community-based and led organisation used social networking and instant messaging to address this problem among the transgender community in Thailand. It describes and analyses how online peer-based health counseling integrated HIV education and prevention alongside access to justice through free university-based clinical legal education (CLE). It argues that a community-based approach that integrates HIV prevention and education and access to justice within a wider sexual health programme, through digital technologies, is a sustainable approach for other populations disproportionately at risk of HIV. Furthermore digital media offer strategic opportunities to overcome on-going political violence alongside entrenched stigma and discrimination that disrupt denial of access to justice

Sexperts! Disrupting injustice with digital community-led HIV prevention and legal rights education in Thailand

In addition to growing epidemics of HIV among men that have sex with men (MSM) and transgenders in Thailand, a low awareness of how to access justice increases their vulnerability. This paper presents unique case studies of how two community-based and led organisations used social networking and instant messaging to address this problem. It describes and analyses how online peer-based HIV education and prevention was integrated with access to justice through free university-based clinical legal education (CLE). It argues that re-designing HIV prevention and education through digital technologies with marginalised gay men, other men that have sex with men (MSM) and transgenders is a sustainable community-based and led approach. Furthermore digital media offer strategic opportunities to overcome on-going political violence alongside entrenched stigma and discrimination that disrupt denial of access to justice for populations disproportionately at risk of HIV

TLBz Sexperts! Using information and technology to get to zero HIV infections among Thai transgender people

A photo of a park building on the grounds of Toledo Botanical Gardens, located at 5403 Elmer Drive in Toledo, Ohio. Terms associated with the photograph are: Toledo Botanical Gardens (Toledo, Ohio) | 5403 Elmer Drive (Toledo, Ohio) | Park buildings | Park

Strengthening access to justice through clinical legal education (CLE)

Purpose – Building local capacity to protect public health and promote social justice with stigmatized populations disproportionately at risk of HIV infection is difficult regardless of context. The purpose of this paper is to document an international collaboration's approaches to integrate sexual rights and community legal education into two HIV online peer outreach and prevention (OPOP) programs in Chiang Mai, Thailand. Design/methodology/approach – This paper documents an international collaboration's approaches to integrate sexual rights and community legal education into two HIV online outreach and prevention programs (OPOP) in Chiang Mai, Thailand. The project's goal was to increase access to justice alongside HIV prevention and education. Findings – The paper illustrates how a clinical legal education (CLE) externship clinic can provide an opportunity for law students and advocates for justice to make an authentic contribution to assisting others, very different from themselves, in overcoming legal injustices in Thailand. Originality/value – The paper argues that the CLE externship clinic provides a productive framework for designing e-democracy initiatives with future lawyers and advocates for justice to achieve a greater understanding of and synergy with the dynamic relationships between academic knowledge and its practical application to the legal and justice issues that will arise in the diverse communities they may work in the future. Furthermore, the paper also argues, that to improve e-democracy, equity and social justice, practitioners now need to acknowledge that technology is part of a suite of resources when it comes to HIV prevention and promoting human, legal and sexual rights, it is not simply the solution

Producing & integrating animations into online outreach to promote social justice, equity & access HIV/AIDS prevention

While many transgenders, or 'lady-boys', have a high visibility and work in professions such as hairdressing, cabaret shows, and Thailand's sex industry, they still remain marginalised and stigmatised in Thailand. Drawing on data from a larger research study, we learned that trarisgenders face unique issues in regards to their legal rights and risk to HIV / AIDS. Transgenders are regularly victims of sex crimes and due to stigma and fear; often do not report these crimes to police. Most transgenders do not know their legal or human rights under Thai law, where to go for help when their rights are violated, or about the availability of Post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) after a sexual assault. We describe working with transgenders, through a unique international collaboration, to produce a context-specific animated film that supports their struggle for social justice and the protection of their human rights. The animation is a new, strategic screen-based resource that aims to empower transgenders in overcoming barriers that deny them equitable access to participation in social, economic, political and cultural relations in their local community. The animation is currently being distributed through peer outreach on mobile phones and MP3 players among the different transgender communities in Chiang Mai. Looking forward, we describe our plans to integrate the animations into a chatroom-based peer-education programme to promote equity, social justice and how to negotiate condom use to minimise the transmission of HIV among the target population

Using mobile phones for health and legal rights education with communities disproportionally at risk of HIV in Thailand

1 day pre-conference workshop, 15 October, 2012. Venue: Engaging Learning Environment, Faculty of Behavioural Sciences, University of Helsink