AEGiS-14IAC: Ontario Men's Survey - Community in action: Processes for re-establishing baseline sociobehavioural and HIV prevalence measures in an ever-diversifying community.

14th International AIDS Conference

Barcelona, Spain - July 7-12, 2002

Ontario Men's Survey - Community in action: Processes for re-establishing baseline sociobehavioural and HIV prevalence measures in an ever-diversifying community.

Int Conf AIDS 2002 Jul 7-12; 14:(abstract no. E11409)

Allman D, Myers T, Calzavara L, Remis R, Major C, Travers R, Maxwell J
HIV Social, Behavioural and Epidemiological Studies Unit, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada

OBJECTIVES: To describe the processes developed and features deemed necessary to conduct a province-wide sociobehavioural and HIV prevalence study of gay and bisexual men.

METHODS: This 2002 study follows the National Men's Survey (1991), and the Winnipeg Men's Survey (1996). It targets to recruit 5,000 gay and bisexual men - to date Canada's largest study of this population. It combines a venue-based, sociobehavioral survey using an 88-item self-completed questionnaire and an optional collection of a saliva sample using the Omni-SALtm device. The questionnaires and study materials are available in seven languages (Chinese, English, French, Portuguese, Spanish, Tamil, Vietnamese). Local coordination is housed in ASOs in 13 communities. The project is advised by a provincial committee and a coordinating committee in the largest metropolitan area.

RESULTS: The study arises out of extensive consultation with geographically and ethno-racially diverse communities. These consultations led to an extensive array of interests and issues. In the refinement of the instrument, it was necessary to reconcile many diverse interests and this required a creative and flexible approach. The questionnaire covers community involvement and socialization; mobility in the gay community; experiences of racism within gay and bisexual communities; sexual activities with different types of men in different types of relationships; challenges of using condoms; HIV antibody testing (including testing outside of community); and AIDS education and prevention for gay and bisexual men.

CONCLUSIONS: Once collected and analyzed data will be returned to community partners through community-level reports as well as through community forums across Ontario. This will ensure that important findings can be understood, used by, and incorporated into local programmes. More information regarding the Ontario Men's Survey can be found online at www.mens-survey.ca

Keywords: AEGIS, Prevalence, HIV Infections, Bisexuality, Homosexuality, Male, Data Collection, HIV Seropositivity, Homosexuality, Sex Behavior, Condoms, Questionnaires, Cross-Sectional Studies, Health Education, Ontario, Canada, Vietnam, Human, Male, epidemiology

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