“Compared to COVID, HIV Is Nothing”: Exploring How Onshore East Asian and Sub-Saharan African International Students in Sydney Navigate COVID-19 versus BBVs/STIs Risk Spectrum

Background: While a large body of evidence indicates changes in alcohol and other drug use among young people as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, there is a lack of evidence around changes in sexual practices and how the pandemic may be impacting the potential spread of blood-borne viruses and sexually transmissible infections (BBVs/STIs). Most of what we know about sex during COVID-19 lockdowns is largely based on solitary sexual practices, which may not answer the critical question around how the pandemic may be shaping sexual practices among young people. Against this backdrop, this study explored how the COVID-19 pandemic may be shaping BBVs/STIs risk and protective practices among a sample of onshore African and Asian international students in Sydney, Australia. Methods: This phenomenological qualitative study involved semi-structured telephone and face-to-face interviews with 16 international university students in Sydney, between September 2020–March 2021. Generated data were coded using NVivo and analysis was guided by reflexive thematic analysis. Results: Participants reported elevated mental health distress because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Some participants reported engaging in casual sexual hook-ups as a strategy to mitigate the mental health distress they were experiencing. Some of these sexual hook-ups were condomless partly because COVID-related disruptions impacted condom accessibility. Additionally, the preventive practices of some participants who were sexually active during the lockdowns were focused on preventing COVID-19, while the risk of BBVs/STIs were downplayed. Conclusions: This study indicates a need for a comprehensive public health response to the evolving and near-endemic COVID-19 situation. Such a comprehensive approach should focus on empowering young people to prevent both SARS-CoV-2 and BBVs/STIs.