Seksuele Gezondheid inclusief Hiv

We conduct cutting-edge interdisciplinary research that contributes to improved sexual health and wellbeing, particularly among vulnerable populations, in Europe and countries in the Global South. We have methodological expertise in epidemiology, implementation and evaluation research, sociology, anthropology, health psychology, and participatory action research, and strongly value meaningful collaboration with priority communities. Our work covers three broad thematic areas:

1. Investigating the burden and social determinants of sexually transmitted infections (STIs), including HIV. We contribute to filling crucial knowledge gaps on the burden of STIs in low-resource settings, particularly among adolescents and young people, aiming to inform targeted interventions. In Europe, particularly in Belgium, we focus on understanding intersecting vulnerabilities and risk in the context of HIV and other (re)-emerging STIs, among men who have sex with men, transgender people, people who sell sex, and people with a migrant background.
2. Understanding barriers to prevention and care. We leverage our longstanding expertise in participatory research to identify and understand barriers that hinder access to prevention and care services for HIV and other STIs.
3. Developing and evaluating intervention strategies to improve HIV prevention, access to services and quality of life. We combine qualitative and quantitative methods to conduct rigorous implementation and evaluation research, striving to improve access to preventive measures, including pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP). In addition, we aim to enhance the delivery of HIV care and sexual health services, improving quality of life of people living with HIV. We aim to do this by co-developing inclusive, innovative, and effective strategies that promote universal coverage of sexual health services.

We collaborate with various partners and institutions, contributing to informing policy and practice regarding sexual health and HIV.

We coordinate and deliver teaching through various (short) courses as part of postgraduate education and the Master in Public Health, including:

• Research Approaches in International Health
• Challenges in International Health
• Design and Evaluation of Health Programmes
• Sexual and Reproductive Health and HIV: beyond silos
• Qualitative and Mixed Methods in International Health Research