Gay Community Periodic Surveys: National Report 2010

Gay Community Periodic Surveys surveys are regularly conducted in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Cairns, Canberra, Adelaide and Perth to monitor changes in sexual and other risk practices over time among Australian gay men who are gay community attached, recruited from gay sex-on-premises venues, social sites and clinics

Gay Community Periodic Survey: Sydney February 2007

Gay Community Periodic Surveys surveys are regularly conducted in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Cairns, Canberra, Adelaide and Perth to monitor changes in sexual and other risk practices over time among Australian gay men who are gay community attached, recruited from gay sex-on-premises venues, social sites and clinics

Behavioural surveillance among gay men in Australia: Methods, findings and policy implications for the prevention of HIV and other sexually transmissible infections

Background: The Australian HIV/STI behavioural surveillance system (repeated cross-sectional Gay Community Periodic Surveys, GCPS) has been conducted regularly since 1998 and covers six main Australian jurisdictions. In this paper, we reviewed its history and methodology, as well as the available indicators, their trends and their use. Methods: We described the design and history of GCPS. For analyses of indicators, we used Pearson–s chi-squared test and test for trend where appropriate. Results: About 90% of gay men in Australia have been tested for HIV; 60% to 70% of men, who were not HIV-positive, have been tested as recommended in the preceding 12 months. STI testing levels (~70% in the preceding 12 months) are high, but remain insufficient for STI prevention. In general, unprotected anal intercourse with regular (UAIR) and casual (UAIC) sex partners have increased over time. The prevalence and increasing trends in UAIR were similar across jurisdictions (p trend <0.01), while trends in UAIC differed across the states: during 2001-2008, UAIC declined in NSW (p trend <0.01) and increased elsewhere (p trend <0.01). Trends in UAIC were associated with HIV diagnoses. Conclusion: This review of the design, implementation and findings of the Australian HIV/STI behavioural surveillance highlights important lessons for HIV/STI behavioural surveillance among homosexual men, particularly the need for consistent and dedicated data collection over time and across jurisdictions. Investment in systematic HIV/STI behavioural surveillance appears to result in a better understanding of the HIV epidemic, availability of a warning system and a better targeted HIV prevention

Gay Community Periodic Survey: Adelaide 2010

Gay Community Periodic Surveys surveys are regularly conducted in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Cairns, Canberra, Adelaide and Perth to monitor changes in sexual and other risk practices over time among Australian gay men who are gay community attached, recruited from gay sex-on-premises venues, social sites and clinics

Casual sexual encounters among gay men: Familiarity, trust and unprotected anal intercourse

Familiarity with and a history of prior sex with casual partners is associated with unprotected anal intercourse and may increase the risk of HIV transmission among gay men. Using data from the Sydney Gay Community Periodic Survey 2007, we explored the relationship between familiarity and unprotected anal intercourse with the last casual partner (UAI-LC). 51% of the men knew their last casual partner and 49% had previously had sex with him. Men were more inclined to engage in UAI-LC if they had previously had sex with this partner. HIV-negative men were more likely to have UAI-LC with a more familiar partner independent of his serostatus. Familiarity with and a previous history of sex between casual partners may result in a false sense of trust and may increase the risk of HIV transmission. HIV prevention services should address this issue and develop programs to improve men's skills in negotiating safer sex

HIV/STI behavioural surveillance among gay men in Australia: findings and policy implications

Background: The Australian HIV/STI behavioural surveillance system (repeated cross-sectional Gay Community Periodic Surveys, GCPS) has been conducted regularly since 1998 and covers six main Australian jurisdictions. In this paper, we reviewed its history and methodology, as well as the available indicators, their trends and their use. Methods: We described the design and history of GCPS. For analyses of indicators, we used Pearson–s chi-squared test and test for trend where appropriate. Results: About 90% of gay men in Australia have been tested for HIV; 60% to 70% of men, who were not HIV-positive, have been tested as recommended in the preceding 12 months. STI testing levels (~70% in the preceding 12 months) are high, but remain insufficient for STI prevention. In general, unprotected anal intercourse with regular (UAIR) and casual (UAIC) sex partners have increased over time. The prevalence and increasing trends in UAIR were similar across jurisdictions (p trend <0.01), while trends in UAIC differed across the states: during 2001-2008, UAIC declined in NSW (p trend <0.01) and increased elsewhere (p trend <0.01). Trends in UAIC were associated with HIV diagnoses. Conclusion: This review of the design, implementation and findings of the Australian HIV/STI behavioural surveillance highlights important lessons for HIV/STI behavioural surveillance among homosexual men, particularly the need for consistent and dedicated data collection over time and across jurisdictions. Investment in systematic HIV/STI behavioural surveillance appears to result in a better understanding of the HIV epidemic, availability of a warning system and a better targeted HIV prevention

Gay Community Periodic Survey: Melbourne 2011

Gay Community Periodic Surveys surveys are regularly conducted in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Cairns, Canberra, Adelaide and Perth to monitor changes in sexual and other risk practices over time among Australian gay men who are gay community attached, recruited from gay sex-on-premises venues, social sites and clinics

Rates of condom and non-condom-based anal intercourse practices among homosexually active men in Australia: deliberate HIV risk reduction?

Objective Three decades into the HIV epidemic and with the advancement of HIV treatments, condom and non-condom-based anal intercourse among gay men in resource-rich countries needs to be re-assessed.Methods The proportions of men engaging in a range of anal intercourse practices were estimated from the ongoing cross-sectional Gay Community Periodic Surveys in six states in Australia from 2007 to 2009. Comparisons were made between HIV-negative men, HIV-positive men with an undetectable viral load and those with a detectable viral load.Results Condoms play a key role in gay men's anal intercourse practices: 33.8% of HIV-negative men, 25.1% of HIV-positive men with an undetectable viral load and 22.5% of those with a detectable viral load reported consistent condom use with all male partners in the 6 months before the survey. Among HIV-negative men, the second largest group were men who had unprotected anal intercourse (UAI) only in the context of HIV-negative seroconcordant regular relationships. Among HIV-positive men, the second largest group was men who had UAI in casual encounters preceded by HIV status disclosure to some, but not all, casual partners.Conclusions A minority, yet sizeable proportion, of men consistently engaged in a number of UAI practices in specific contexts, suggesting they have adopted deliberate HIV risk-reduction strategies. While it is important that HIV behavioural prevention continues to reinforce condom use, it needs to address both the challenges and opportunities of the substantial uptake of non-condom-based risk-reduction strategies

Gay Community Periodic Survey: Canberra 2011

The Canberra Gay Community Periodic Survey is a cross-sectional survey of gay and homosexually active men recruited from gay venues and community events. The aim of the survey is to provide data on sexual, drug use and testing practices related to the transmission of HIV and other sexually transmissible infections (STIs) among gay men

Gay Community Periodic Survey: Queensland 2007

Gay Community Periodic Surveys surveys are regularly conducted in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Cairns, Canberra, Adelaide and Perth to monitor changes in sexual and other risk practices over time among Australian gay men who are gay community attached, recruited from gay sex-on-premises venues, social sites and clinics