Non-migrant South Asian gay, bisexual, and queer men in Canada were more likely to have been recently tested for STIs than migrants, with racism playing a role in this disparity, suggesting that intersectional stigma and barriers to sexual health services need to be addressed for migrant SA GBQM.
Among South Asian gay, bisexual, and queer men (SA GBQM) in Canada, 59% were migrants and 62% had been recently tested for STIs.
Recent STI testing was significantly higher among non-migrant SA GBQM compared to migrant SA GBQM.
Past-year experiences of racism were substantially more common than heterosexism among SA GBQM, and racism was more prevalent among migrants than non-migrants.
Only the pure direct effect in causal mediation decomposition for the racism model was statistically significant, indicating that non-migrant SA GBQM who did not experience racism were more likely to have been recently tested than migrants.
The study used a pooled cross-sectional design combining Sex Now 2019 and 2021 survey data with modified Poisson regression and causal mediation decomposition to examine migration status, discrimination, and STI testing.
This research examined whether being an immigrant (migrant) to Canada affects whether South Asian gay, bisexual, and queer men (GBQM) get tested for sexually transmitted infections (STIs), and whether experiences of racism or discrimination based on sexual orientation (heterosexism) play a role in that relationship. The study analyzed survey data from 197 South Asian GBQM collected in 2019 and 2021 across Canada. It found that about 62% of participants had been recently tested for STIs, but non-migrants (those born in Canada) were about 65% more likely to have been recently tested compared to migrants. The study also found that nearly two-thirds of participants had experienced racism in the past year, and migrants experienced racism at higher rates than non-migrants. When the researchers looked more closely at how racism might explain the testing gap between migrants and non-migrants, they found that the main driver of the difference was a direct effect: non-migrant South Asian GBQM who had not experienced racism were significantly more likely to have been recently tested. This suggests the lower testing rates among migrants are not simply explained by their higher exposure to racism, but may reflect other structural or social barriers that migrants face in accessing sexual health services in Canada. This research suggests that South Asian GBQM who have migrated to Canada face unique, compounding challenges—including racism and barriers to healthcare access—that reduce their likelihood of getting tested for STIs. Improving STI testing rates in this group may require addressing both the stigma they face as sexual minorities and as racialized migrants, as well as structural obstacles to accessing culturally appropriate and affirming sexual health services.
Joshun J. S. Dulai, Nathan Lachowsky, Ben Klassen, Vaibhav Sawhney, Praney Anand, Ananya Banerjee, et al.. (2026). Migration status, discrimination, and recent sexually transmitted infection testing among South Asian gay, bisexual, and other queer men living in Canada.. Social Science & Medicine (1967). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2026.119401