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Sigma Research

New website: Gay men's sex survey

The Sigma Panel for gay men, bisexual men and other men that have sex with men (MSM)

Duration: December 2010 - March 2012

Sigma Panel Insight Blasts published to date
Insight Blast 1: HIV testing (March 2011).
Insight Blast 2: The next sexual partner (May 2011).
Insight Blast 3: Anal intercourse and condom use (June 2011).
Insight Blast 4: Notifying former sex partners about STI diagnoses (August 2011).
Insight Blast 5: STI screening before the next sexual partner (September 2011).
Insight Blast 6: Attitudes to PreP (October 2011).
Insight Blast 7: Messages promoting STI screening (November 2011).
Insight Blast 8: Sexual exclusivity (December 2011).

Forthcoming Sigma Panel Insight Blasts
Insight Blast 9: Use of poppers (due January 2012).
Insight Blast 10: Sex that was regretted (due January 2012).

As part of the CHAPS research and development programme Sigma Research has recruited more than 2,000 gay men, bisexual men and other men that have sex with men (MSM) in England for a study consisting of 13 monthly online interviews, preceded by an introductory profiling survey. Participants are asked monthly about their sexual behaviours and their engagement with HIV prevention interventions, alongside qualitative and quantitative assessments of psycho-social factors associated with sexual risk, HIV health promotion needs and views on health promotion interventions in development. These investigations will have a short turnaround for analysis and output to health promoters developing and delivering sexual health interventions with or for MSM.

The Panel will describe:
● The level and distribution of risk and precautionary behaviours, how they change at the individual level over a one year period and influences on these behaviours at the level of the individual and the sexual event, including engagement with interventions.
● The factors influencing risk and precautionary choices, in particular men’s values and perceptions of the consequences of sexual risk practices and their perceptions of the values of significant others.
● The factors influencing the feasibility and acceptability of varied intervention types and styles across a range of sub-groups.

The Sigma Panel can respond to requests from CHAPS Partners for specific themes to be explored or for questions to be asked of men in defined geographic areas or demographic groups (for example, those living in rural areas, or men in monogamous relationship). A sub-set of men will also be invited to participate in a qualitative investigation that explores the motivations behind men’s choices of risk-taking and risk-avoidance when having sex.

Results of the monthly needs investigations are fed back to collaborators directly on a monthly basis providing insight for intervention planning. These reports will also be shared with the participants and form the basis of gay press inserts and press releases. The Insight Blasts are distributed in the form of PDFs and are not designed or printed.

This research is funded as part of the evaluation and development programme of CHAPS. CHAPS is a partnership of community-based organisations carrying out HIV prevention and sexual health promotion with gay men, bisexual men and other MSM in England. It is a national HIV prevention partnership funded by the Department of Health for England and co-ordinated by Terrence Higgins Trust. Alongside THT it includes The Eddystone Trust (South West England), GMFA (London), Healthy Gay Life (Birmingham), The Lesbian & Gay Foundation (Manchester), Metro Centre (London), TRADE Sexual Health (Leicester), and Yorkshire MESMAC.

Key contact: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)