Men's Attitudes to Intimate Life (MAIL)
Research type
Research Study
Full title
An interview study of attitudes towards parenthood and intimate life among HIV-positive gay and bisexual men in London
IRAS ID
190125
Contact name
Robert Pralat
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Cambridge
Duration of Study in the UK
2 years, 0 months, 0 days
Research summary
More than 77,000 people receive HIV care across the UK. The overall number of new HIV diagnoses has declined since 2005, but there has been a consistent increase in new infections among men who have sex with men. Many studies have focused on the sexual health of gay and bisexual men living with HIV. However, the reproductive health of this population has received scant attention – despite the high demand for fertility care among HIV-positive heterosexuals and the growing visibility and social acceptance of gay fatherhood. This study aims to explore attitudes towards parenthood and intimate life, including views about fertility and family planning, among gay and bisexual men living with HIV. It seeks to examine whether sexual health practitioners who work with HIV-positive non-heterosexual men discuss issues related to reproduction, to what extent there is a need for such discussions and whether any communication barriers exist.
The method of in-depth semi-structured interviews will be used. About 25 interviews will be conducted with HIV-positive gay and bisexual men aged 20-45 who attend sexual health clinics in London. In addition, about 10 interviews will be carried out with healthcare professionals who work closely with non-heterosexual men living with HIV. This study takes place amidst increasing efforts to better integrate sexual and reproductive health services in the UK. The findings will help develop guidelines to facilitate effective communication with HIV-positive patients about their reproductive health. More broadly, the findings will advance understanding of how younger gay and bisexual men approach the prospect of becoming parents or remaining childfree, which will have further implications for a more general health and social care provision. The study is a two-year project funded by the British HIV Association and the Wellcome Trust, conducted at the University of Cambridge in collaboration with three sexual health clinics in London.
REC name
London - Camberwell St Giles Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
16/LO/0030
Date of REC Opinion
2 Mar 2016
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion