Nearly all men taking part in a survey into their habits around HIV, and safe sex have been willing to give an anonymous saliva sample in order that HIV epidemiologists can get a better handle on the incidence of HIV in the gay and bi communities. Dr Peter Saxton Of the 1000 men who filled out the survey at the Big Gay Out 84% offered an "oral fluid specimen" to be tested for HIV, says Dr Peter Saxton, NZAF Senior Researcher and Postdoctoral Fellow at the Department of Preventive and Social Medicine. The survey is part of a long-running project, the Gay Auckland Periodic Sex Survey, or GAPSS, which is conducted every to to three years to gain an overview of trends surrounding safe sex and HIV. The study now continues for the rest of the week in gay bars, saunas and cruise clubs in Auckland. "We still need men of all types to take part so that the findings include the experiences of people like themselves," says Saxton. Although the oral specimen will be tested for HIV it is completely anonymous in that no donor details are recorded with the sample. The researchers aim to compare the biological data with responses in the questionnaire, which is also anonymous, to estimate the level of undiagnosed HIV infection.
Credit: GayNZ.com Daily News staff
First published: Thursday, 17th February 2011 - 10:20pm