title: Let's talk about sex: helping substance abuse counsellors address HIV prevention with men who have sex with men.
abstract: Integrating HIV prevention into substance abuse counselling is recommended to ameliorate the health outcomes of men who have sex with men. However, culture-based countertransferences (CBCs) may hamper this effort. Using a case illustration, this paper will explain the manifestation of CBCs held among substance abuse counsellors and how they hinder counsellors' work with men who have sex with men. The following CBCs will be explored: distancing, topic avoidance, heteronormativity, assumptions and denying client strengths. These CBCs allow counsellors to avoid discussions about sexual practices and curtail HIV prevention counselling, while undermining the counsellor-client relationship. Based on the empirical literature on HIV and substance abuse prevention with men who have sex with men, we provide recommendations to help counsellors overcome CBCs and integrate HIV prevention consistently with men who are in treatment for substance abuse.
authors.affiliation: School of Social Work, Columbia University, New York, USA. ay2117@columbia.edu
authors.forename: Anya Y
authors.initials: AY
authors.lastname: Spector
authors.forename: Rogerio M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Pinto
mesh_terms: D003379:Countertransference; D054521:Cultural Competency; D003469:Culture; D037001:Directive Counseling / Q000379:methods*; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000517:prevention & control*; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D018451:Homosexuality, Male / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D054526:Men's Health; D008875:Middle Aged; D011287:Prejudice; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders