HIV futures seven: the health and wellbeing of HIV positive people in Australia

Executive summary DEMOGRAPHICS The HIV Futures 7 survey was completed by 1058 HIV positive Australians from all states and territories. This represents approximately 4.3% of the estimated HIV positive population. 92.2% were male (975), 6.7% were female (70) and 0.3% were transgender (3). §§ 83.1% were gay men, 6.1% heterosexual women, 4.3% heterosexual men, 3.8% bisexual men, 0.1% lesbian women and 0.5% bisexual women. The remaining 2.1% fell into other categories. The respondents’ ages ranged 19 to 84 years with a mean of 49.0 years and a median of 49 years. The majority of participants were Australian born (78.2%). Twenty two respondents (2.1%) were of Aboriginal/Torres Strait Island origin. Health HIV antibody testing 24.5% tested for HIV because they became ill 18.9% tested as part of routine health screening 8.7% tested because they were a member of a risk group 10.9% tested because of a particular risk episode 2.8% were tested without their knowledge Current Health Status 71.4% rated their health as good or excellent and 62.7% rated their general well-being as good or excellent Almost all PLHIV had taken a CD4/T-cell test and a viral load test. HIV-related and other health conditions 22.3% of respondents had been diagnosed with an AIDS defining illness, 3.3% in the previous two years 40.6% of respondents indicated that they had experienced HIV-related illnesses 46.0% indicated that they had a major heath condition other than HIV/AIDS. The most common conditions were asthma (8.3%), cancer (6.4%), cardiovascular disease (e.g. high blood pressure) (7.3%), type II diabetes (4.2%), hepatitis C (6.0%)

An ordinary night out - A report on the research project pivotal, peripheral or positional: Understanding SOPVs for intervention

This research was designed to gather information and increase understanding about sex on premises venues (SOPVs) so as to enhance the capacity of public health and gay community stakeholders to better address recent rises in HIV and other STIs. The research sought to gain knowledge about SOPVs from the perspective of the SOPV industry, SOPV patrons and the community from which SOPV patrons are drawn

Off-Label Use of Phosphodiesterase Type 5 Inhibitor Erectile Dysfunction Medication to Enhance Sex Among Gay and Bisexual Men in Australia: Results from the FLUX Study

Introduction: Gay and bisexual men (GBM) use erectile dysfunction medications (EDM) such as Viagra™, Cialis™ and Levitra™ often with little evidence of medical indication that might necessitate their use. Aim: We investigate the prevalence and contexts of, and motivations for, EDM use, and its relationship to sexual risk behavior. Method: Between September 2014 and July 2015, Australian GBM were invited to enroll online through social networking and gay community sites to complete a comprehensive survey looking at licit and illicit drug use and their associated behaviors. A total of 2250 GBM completed the questionnaire. Main outcome measures: Any EDM use, and at least weekly use in the previous six months. Results: Two thirds (67.7%) reported no history of EDM use in their lifetime. Approximately one in ten participants (11.1%) had last used EDM more than six months ago. In the previous six months, 11.5% reported using EDM less than monthly, 5.3% at least monthly, and 4.5% weekly or more often. Among men who had used EDM in the previous six months, the most common reasons cited for its use were: to maintain an erection for longer (73.3%), to make it easier to get hard (67.3%), and difficulty in attaining or maintain an erection (53.5%). Conclusion: While some GBM use EDM specifically for erectile dysfunction, many also use EDM to enhance their sexual experiences. Often, this occurs in the context of intensive sex partying, which may include risky sexual behavior. The use of EDM in the context of intensive sex partying (which include the combined use of EDM and illicit drugs), with the associated potential for increased risk of HIV transmission, indicates a need to consider the use of EDM among GBM in HIV prevention

HIV futures NZ2: Mate araikore a muri ake nei (Tuarua)

The Living with HIV Program is a part of the Australian Research Centre in Sex, Health and Society (ARCSHS) at La Trobe University. The program conducts social research into the lived experience of HIV. The HIV Futures New Zealand 2 survey was completed by 261 HIV positive people. 75.7% were male (196), 23.9% were female (62), and one person was transgender. 60.7% were gay men, 22.7% heterosexual women, 10.1% heterosexual men, 6.1% bisexual men, and 0.4% lesbian women. The respondents’ ages ranged from 23 to 88 years with a mean of 45.6 years and a median of 44.0 years. The majority of participants were New Zealand born (69.4%) and 89.8% of the participants spoke English at home, with North African languages accounting for most of the remainder. Of the total sample, 255 indicated their ethnicity. One hundred and seventy two were European/Pakeha (65.9%), 49 were African (18.8%), 17 were Maori (6.5%), nine were Asian (3.4%) and five were Pacific Islanders (1.9%)

Negotiating gay men’s relationships: how are monogamy and non-monogamy experienced and practised over time?

When viewed over time, many gay men’s relationships are not static, or firmly fixed to monogamy or non-monogamy. This paper uses in-depth interviews with 61 Australian gay men to explore how monogamy and non-monogamy are experienced over time, expectations of what constitutes the norms regarding gay men’s relationships and how couples experience and practices change. Although some gay men may idealise monogamy, particularly at the beginning of a relationship, it is often experienced as temporary. Non-monogamy is often seen as a likely prospect for gay relationships owing to the social and cultural norms that operate in gay communities. These expected trajectories are reflected in practice – many relationships begin monogamously and then become non-monogamous over time. While the application of ‘rules’, experimentation and flexibility can facilitate change, couples may struggle to navigate new territory as their relationship structures shift. This is particularly the case when partners value monogamy and non-monogamy differently, or when one partner’s values change. These findings shed light on how gay men approach change to the status of ‘fidelity’ within their relationships, and the tensions and opportunities that change can produce for couples

A Systematic Review of UK Educational and Training Materials Aimed at Health and Social Care Staff about Providing Appropriate Services for LGBT+ People

Background: There is greater dissatisfaction with health services by LGBT people compared to heterosexual and cisgender people and some of this is from lack of equality and diversity training for health professionals. Core training standards in sexual orientation for health professionals have been available since 2006. The purpose of this project is to systematically review educational materials for health and social care professionals in lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) issues. Methods: A protocol was developed and searches conducted in six databases. Selection criteria: any studies reporting delivery or evaluation of UK education of health and/or social care professionals in LGBT issues, with no language or setting restrictions. Inclusions and data extraction were conducted in duplicate. Narrative synthesis of educational evaluations was used. Educational materials were assessed using thematic synthesis. Results: From the searches, 165 full papers were evaluated and 19 studies were included in the narrative synthesis. Three were successful action-research projects in cancer services and in residential care. Sixteen sets of educational/training materials have been available since 2010. These varied in length, scope, target audience, and extent of development as classroom-ready materials. Conclusions: Despite the availability of appropriate training programmes for post-qualifying staff, recommendations to undertake training, best practice examples, and statements of good intent, LGBT people continue to report that they are experiencing discrimination or direct prejudice from health and/or social care services. Better training strategies using behaviour change techniques are needed