Inty, Connectedns, and Sexual Health the Gay Sna | Sexualy Rearch and Social Policy

Contents:

• GAY SNAS AND THE RISKS OF HIV AND SYPHILIS TRANSMISSNS CHA--RULTS OF A META-ANALYSIS
• GAY SNAS AND THE RISKS OF HIV AND SYPHILIS TRANSMISSNS CHA—RULTS OF A META‐ANALYSIS
• WHAT I LEARNED OM TTG MEN FOR HIV AT GAY BATHHO
• HIV TRANSMISSN RISK AT A GAY BATHHOE
• GAY SNA AND HIV RISK
• VIS TO GAY SNA
• HIV RISK, RISK PERCEPTN AND UPTAKE OF HIV TTG AND UNSELG AMONG YOUTH MEN WHO HAVE SEX WH MEN ATTENDG A GAY SNA
• INTY, CONNECTEDNS, AND SEXUAL HEALTH THE GAY SNA
• RISK FACTORS FOR HIV-1 SERONVERSN AMONG TAIWANE MEN VISG GAY SNAS WHO HAVE SEX WH MEN
• ACTIVE TARGETED HIV TTG AND LKAGE TO RE AMONG MEN WHO HAVE SEX WH MEN ATTENDG A GAY SNA THAILAND

GAY SNAS AND THE RISKS OF HIV AND SYPHILIS TRANSMISSNS CHA--RULTS OF A META-ANALYSIS

The aim of this study was to vtigate the associatns between HIV/syphilis prevalence and the typ of venu, namely snas, parks, gay bars, and the Inter, which are mostly ed for sourcg male sex partners by MSM Cha. AimsThe aim of this study was to vtigate the associatns between HIV/syphilis prevalence and the typ of venu, namely snas, parks, gay bars, and the Inter, which are mostly ed for sourcg male sex partners by MSM Cha. ConclnsThe rults of this study suggt that those sourcg partners maly om gay snas have higher prevalence of HIV/syphilis when pared wh those dog so via the Inter or gay bars.

Keywords: Men Who Have Sex wh Men (MSM), Gay Sna, Syphilis, HIV, Meta‐Analysis, ChaIntroductnThe human immunoficiency vis (HIV) prevalence among men who have sex wh men (MSM) Cha has been creasg sharply [1]. Paradoxilly, such venu also provi a platform for offerg stctured venue‐based HIV terventns targetg MSM [10] of the surveys targetg MSM llected data om gay venu or via the Inter 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17. For stance, prev studi that were nducted Hong Kong and the Uned Kgdom showed that participants reced via the Inter had higher prevalence of risk behavrs such as unprotected anal terurse (UAI) and multiple partnerships, as pared wh those reced om other gay venu 18, 19.

GAY SNAS AND THE RISKS OF HIV AND SYPHILIS TRANSMISSNS CHA—RULTS OF A META‐ANALYSIS

Other studi showed that participants reced om some venu, such as gay snas, had higher prevalence of HIV/sexually transmted disease (STD), as pared wh participants reced om other sourc 20, 21.

The rults have important policy and programmg the 2008 natnal survey nducted Cha [2], a qutn asked about the type of venue where the MSM rponnts mostly sourced their sex partners (gay snas, gay bars, Inter, and parks). DiscsnThe rults of this study suggt that those sourcg male sex partners mostly om snas the 10 ci Cha were at higher risk of ntractg HIV and syphilis, as pared wh those om gay bars or the Inter. 18% of the sampled MSM sourced male sex partners mostly om gay snas, their ndom‐e behavrs would have a high impact onto the HIV epimic among MSM Cha, as their risk of ntractg HIV and syphilis was higher than those mostly sourcg sex partners om the Inter and om bars.

Patrons of gay snas may vis gay snas equently and they may vis multiple snas wh the same time perd—large, tensive, and overlappg sexual works are therefore created by sna goers.

WHAT I LEARNED OM TTG MEN FOR HIV AT GAY BATHHO

Targetg HIV preventn the bathho would reach the segment of men at greatt risk for HIV Humphreys' groundbreakg study1 of sex between men “tearooms” (public rtrooms wh a reputatn as a place where homosexual enunters occur), social scientists have vtigated the environments outsi the home where men who have sex wh men (MSM) meet other MSM for sual, ually anonymo, sex. G., tearooms12) were surveyed about their recent sexual risk behavrs, or sampl of gay men were asked both about their sexual risk behavr and whether they vised any sex venue.

METHODSSampleThe data are om the Urban Men's Health Study, a telephone survey based on a probabily sample of men 18 years or olr who self-intified as gay or bisexual or who reported sexual ntact wh a man sce 14 years of age.

HIV TRANSMISSN RISK AT A GAY BATHHOE

In addn, multivenue ers were more likely than bathers or cisers to report engagg unprotected anal terurse a public settg and engagg group 2—Prevalence of Sexually Transmted Diseas (STDs), Dg Use, and Risky Sexual Practic Among Men Who Frequent Gay Sex Venu, by Venue Use: Urban Men's Health Study, 1997Cisers, % (n = 515)Bathers, % (n = 326)Multivenue Users, % (n = 481)STDs HIV posiveb13. None of the other teractns tted achieved statistil 3—Relatnship Between Characteristics of Men Who Frequent Gay Sex Venu and Engage Unprotected Anal Interurse a Public Settg: Urban Men's Health Study, 1997OR (95% CI)Venue e patterns Cisers1.

IntroductnGay snas (also referred to as gay bathho and steamho) are a mercial space which gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex wh men (MSM)Footnote 1 n meet for sexual enunters. There are rerds of gay men g snas for sex the fifteenth century but was the send half of the twentieth century that gay snas beme more wispread London, New York, and other major ci (Bébé, 1996) sexual health of sna ers has been a signifint foc of both rearchers and mentators (e. Yet, gay snas have now bee an important ntext for raisg awarens of safer sex and of enhancg HIV preventn has been limed rearch to the inti, experienc, and perceptns of gay sna ers (e.

GAY SNA AND HIV RISK

In orr to addrs this lacuna rearch, this article foc on the meangs and experienc that gay men livg the English cy of Leicter attribute to the gay sna, the role of the sna their sense of inty, and how they nste their sexual behavr this Health Among Gay MenOf the 89, 400 people livg wh HIV the England 2016, 51% were gay men (PHE, 2018a), and, of the 4370 new HIV diagnos 2017, 53% (n = 2330) were among gay men (Nash et al., 2018).

This epimlogil profile among gay men n be attributed to the high equency of sex, multiple sexual partners, and high prevalence of ndomls sex this populatn (Jaspal, 2019) Risk and Preventn the Gay SnaIn their survey study of 134 gay sna ers South Wt England, Horwood et al.

(2016) found high rat of HIV risk behavr – participants reported higher numbers of sual sexual partners and higher equency of unprotected anal sex than muny sampl of gay men reced non-sna settgs.

VIS TO GAY SNA

(2005) noted that gay sna attendance was a signifint risk factor for hepatis A fectn, and that the vast majory of those fected had had sex a gay of the sexual health iativ gay snas clu the dissematn of sexual health knowledge, the provisn of STI screeng and HIV ttg, and awarens-raisg regardg PrEP and post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP). In several studi, rearchers have found high acceptabily and effectivens of HIV self-ttg gay snas although they do acknowledge the need to ascerta the bt way of implementg this service wh the sna (Huebner, Bson, Pollack, & Woods, 2012; Woods, Lippman, Agnew, Carroll, & Bson, 2016). Ccially, HIV preventn gay snas n target subgroups of gay men who might not ordarily engage wh sexual health servic and who might therefore be missed through nventnal HIV preventn rout (Debattista, 2015), effective terventns should be rmed by social psychologil rearch that ptur the views, perceptns, and behavrs of the target populatn the target ntext, that is, the diverse inti of the people whom we wish to target (Fish, Papaloas, Jaspal, & Williamson, 2016).

When the prcipl are challenged, the dividual experienc threats to inty, which is aversive for psychologil has been some rearch that sheds light on the impact of the gay sna on the inti of ers. Drawg on semi-stctured terviews and archival data, Prr (2009) has argued that the gay sna played an important role the nstctn of a gay culture and inty Sydney, Atralia, partly bee enabled gay men to explore, velop, and exprs their sexual inti the face of the homophobic stigma they faced. The gay sna uld promote ntuy and self-teem on the basis of one’s sexual inty the face of external threats to this inty the form of social their terview study of gay sna ers Sydney, Atralia, Prr and Cack (2010, p.

HIV RISK, RISK PERCEPTN AND UPTAKE OF HIV TTG AND UNSELG AMONG YOUTH MEN WHO HAVE SEX WH MEN ATTENDG A GAY SNA

93–94) found that the gay sna functned as a “relig-spirual space removed om the fluence of a domant relig stutn, ” which enabled s ers to engage pleasurable, self-thentitg acts away om the stigma of heteronormative Atralian society. This hts at the notn that the gay sna may promote feelgs of thenticy inty, that is, “the sense that one’s life, both public and private, reflects one’s real self” (Gee, 1998, p. 134) their study of 23 ers of a gay sna Toronto, Hbrich, Myers, Calzavara, Ryr, and Medved (2004) found that ers emphasized the ease of accs to sex the sna ( ntrast to gay bars, for stance), that they valued the anonymy of sexual enunters and, importantly, that they felt safe there.

Acrdgly, the prent study draws on tes of inty procs theory to explore the meangs and experienc that gay men livg Leicter attribute to the gay sna, the role of the sna their sense of inty, and how they nste their sexual behavr this ntext. They all believed themselv to be HIV-negative at the time of the terviews were guid by a semi-stctured terview schle that foced on the followg areas: self-scriptn, self-tegorizatn, motivatns for g the gay sna, sexual behavrs and experienc the gay sna, sexual inty, and sexual health perceptns.

INTY, CONNECTEDNS, AND SEXUAL HEALTH THE GAY SNA

The clu (1) inty thenticy the gay sna; (2) social nnectedns among sna ers; (3) sexual risk and sexual health the sna; and (4) protectg the inty functns of the gay Soc-Spatial Characteristics of the SnasEach gay sna has s own soc-spatial stcture, characteristics, and cultural “norms” which turn fluence and gui the behavr of s ers, staff members, and sexual health service provirs, such as Natnal Health Service (NHS) nurs, muny workers, wh the premis. For stance, a sna may be known among s clients for attractg a particular subgroup of gay men, such as younger gay men or those wh particular sexual terts, and there may be different norms relatn to ndom e among A is the largt and newt of the three snas and has a social space on the ground floor and a space for sexual activy on the first floor.

Sexual health outreach is offered by a lol sexual health B is the smallt of the three snas and is also known for beg equented by non-gay intified MSM, trans women, and cross-drsers. Inty Authenticy the Gay SnaSeveral participants discsed the need to nceal aspects of their sexual inty, such as their sexual orientatn or sexual preferenc, social settgs outsi of the sna environment. (Olly, gay)Like Olly, participants scribed their experience the sna metaphorilly terms of the abily to “let yourself go” and to bee “a different person, ” potentially enhancg their sense of distctivens.

RISK FACTORS FOR HIV-1 SERONVERSN AMONG TAIWANE MEN VISG GAY SNAS WHO HAVE SEX WH MEN

This suggted a posive transn om the need for inty ncealment public settgs, often characterized by heteronormativy, to the abily to explore and manift inty thentilly the gay sna.

ACTIVE TARGETED HIV TTG AND LKAGE TO RE AMONG MEN WHO HAVE SEX WH MEN ATTENDG A GAY SNA THAILAND

Moreover, there was a sense of shared, superordate social inty the gay sna built around a mon goal: “you’re here for the same thg, ” that is, pursu of a sexual enunter wh another man. This uld facilate feelgs of ers ntrasted their experience the gay sna wh the “outer world” that was perceived as heteronormative and judgmental toward norms and practic associated wh homosexualy:Then you go here, and everyone is really iendly, which mak even easier. (Karim, straight-cur)Karim, who intified as “straight-cur, ” reported a sense of rejectn and excln om some social spac outsi of the sna settg due to his sexual inty – not least the gay scene where he rived no sense of belonggns.

” Karim’s acunt reerat the wispread perceptn among terviewe that the mastream gay scene was not nducive to a sense of inty thenticy, but that the gay sna perceptn of the gay sna as a sexual space was elaborated to pture s clivy and open-mdns. ” His acunt reerated the wispread nstal of the gay sna as an clive sexual space which inty thenticy was renred possible, but also which his ntuy (between private and public inti) and belonggns uld be Connectedns Among Sna UsersAs Olly dited his acunt, thenticy was also related to the sense of nnectn and monaly among sna ers. The data show that social nnectedns was a key goal for most, view of the psychosocial strsors faced by some gay men, such as sexual inty issu and low levels of sexual inty disclosure, other social environments, such as bars and nightclubs, may be perceived as ls nducive to social nnectedns and to the formatn of iendships.

For stance, some were unfortable wh the fact that alhol was served gay bars and nightclubs due to their relig fah, while others simply believed that the gay sna was more nducive to nversatn and terpersonal munitn than gay bars. (Stt, gay)In short, the gay sna nstuted a space which ers were able to velop a sense of thenticy and to tablish effective and satisfyg social nnectns wh other men, which provid rpe om the feelgs of lonels and prsn that some reportedly experienced. The gay sna was generally nsted as a relaxg, clive and acceptg environment, which the “social pretense” of other gay ntexts, such as gay bars and clubs, was not necsary (Hbrich et al., 2004).