International social research

Working internationally is a feature of much of ARCSHS’ research. Over the next three years the Centre aims to consolidate and develop a distinct focus on international social research in areas relevant to its research program.

A particular strength for the Centre is conducting and promoting research that involves partnerships between researchers in developed and developing countries, and with governments and communities at the local level. Since 2008, ARCSHS has received funding from AusAID to conduct capacity-building in social research on HIV in Asia and the Pacific. The Centre is seeking ongoing funding in this area, along with funding for research through AusAID, competitive grants and in-country or regional funding bodies.

The Centre’s focus will be on developing countries largely in South East Asia, and a lesser focus on the Pacific, South Asia and Southern Africa. A key strength for ARCSHS internationally is HIV social research, with an emphasis on populations most-at-risk of infection, particularly gay and other homosexually active men and injecting drug users. International social research and capacity-building of researchers in the area of sexuality is also an area of strength to be built upon.

Project to Develop and Deliver a Short Course in Advanced Sexuality Theory and Methodology in Developing Countries

Gary Dowsett, Gillian Fletcher and Julienne Corboz (in collaboration with the International Association for the Study of Sexuality, Culture and Society)

The Ford Foundation funded ARCSHS (2007-2010), in conjunction with the International Association for the Study of Sexuality, Culture and Society (IASSCS), to develop an advanced research capacity building tool to meet the training needs of academics in developing countries. The Advancing Sexualities Studies Short Course was launched in 2010. This is a web-based training tool to develop critical sexuality studies research and scholarship. It comprises an introductory module and 15 additional modules that cover an exciting range of topics related to critical sexuality studies, such as biopower, kinship, media, gender, sexual rights, masculinity and many others. Module materials and resources, along with a range of course preparation documents, are all openly available on www.sexualitystudies.net/short-course. From 2010 to 2012, IASSCS, supported by ARCSHS, has started rolling out the course globally starting in Peru, then Vietnam and South Africa in 2011. Applications for conducting the course in 2012 have also been received from Kenya, the Caribbean and Peru (a second time) during 2011. Gary Dowsett was a key lecturer and evaluator for the course in Vietnam, and Gillian Fletcher is currently evaluating all 2011 rollout activity for IASSCS. The rollout project is overseen by the IASSCS Research and Training Development Committee chaired by Gay Dowsett. The Ford Foundation also funded this stage of the project.

HIV Consortium – Supporting HIV Social Research in Asia and the Pacific

Marian Pitts, Stephen McNally, Larissa Sandy and Hai Do

ARCSHS is one of nine Australian organisations that form the AusAID-funded Australian HIV Consortium. The Consortium’s work covers three broad areas: research, community development and health care. ARCSHS’ social research program is working to support and enhance existing research practices in all areas of HIV research. ARCSHS’ local partners include: Hasanuddin University (Makassar, South Sulawesi, Indonesia), Indonesian National AIDS Commission (KPA-N); Institute for Social Development Studies (Hanoi, Vietnam); Southern Institute of Sustainable Development (Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam) and the National Center for HIV/AIDS, Dermatology and STD (Phnom Penh, Cambodia). In 2011, the intensive training and mentoring programs included:

HIV Consortium - The Indonesian Program

The Indonesian program continued building the social research skills of researchers from Hasanuddin University in Makassar, South Sulawesi. A writing retreat was held in November with researchers to assist in completing reports, writing abstracts and drafting journal articles. Indonesian researchers, government workers and community workers from affected communities were supported to attend national and regional conferences, including the 4th National AIDS Conference in Yogyakarta, the 10th International Congress on AIDS in Asia and the Pacific in Busan, South Korea, and the Australasian HIV Conference in Canberra, Australia. During 2011, ARCSHS also worked closely with two local drug user organisations, Yakeba in Bali and Performa in Semarang, to assist with two research projects: 1) Drug use and harm reduction programs in Semarang, Central Java, Indonesia and; 2) Stopping ARV treatment in Indonesia.

HIV Consortium - The Mekong Program

The Mekong program continued to focus on building the social research skills of eleven researchers from Vietnam and seven researchers from Cambodia. In 2011, one-on-one mentoring was provided to the Vietnamese participants as they finalised data analysis and writing up results. The Vietnamese researchers, participating in the social research program, completed four research projects, which include: 1) Understanding the social factors contributing to relapse by injecting drug users three to six months post-rehabilitation; 2) Support needs for service providers working with people living with HIV/AIDS in Dong Da Hospital Hanoi; 3) The role of social networks for men who have sex with men and their experience of stigma and discrimination; 4) The role of formal social support groups among men who have sex with men practising safer sex. Support continued for the Cambodian participants to complete data analysis for two research projects, which include: 1) Sexual health seeking behaviour of men who have sex with men in Phnom Penh and; 2) Uptake and understandings of family planning among HIV-positive parents in Phnom Penh. A week long intensive writing workshop was held in Phnom Penh to assist participants to write up results.

In August an intensive training program was conducted in partnership with the HIV/AIDS Asia Regional Program (HAARP). HAARP member countries who participated in the training included Cambodia, China, Lao, Myanmar /Burma and Vietnam. The workshop introduced ideas and practices of social research to HAARP members and gave participants an insight into the processes of HIV social research. A particular emphasis was given to strategies for community engagement at all stages of the research process.

Targeted HIV Social Research Program

Marian Pitts, Murray Couch, Larissa Sandy and Hai Do

ARCSHS undertakes a range of research activities in Papua New Guinea, Indonesia and the Pacific with the support of a funding agreement with AusAID. This research program aims to: 1) build evidence on the social impact of HIV on marginalised and hard-to-reach populations; 2) build an evidence base on optimal contexts for HIV prevention; 3) encourage critical assessment of the social aspects of the HIV epidemic in each country and region; 4) develop the skills of HIV social researchers throughout the region; 5) provide a clear indication of where, when and how to place interventions to best reach vulnerable groups; 6) identify interventions that are most appropriate for specific populations; 7) identify optimal modes of delivery of interventions within the constraints of resource poor settings and in remote communities; 8) provide effective knowledge transfer to NGOs, faith-based organisations, health professionals, and governments; and 9) translate research outcomes into possibilities for policy and program development.

MSM Research Program Indonesia

Jeffrey Grierson, Stephen McNally, Irwan Hidayana (University of Indonesia) and Anthony Smith

This program consists of four significant research projects and was funded by AusAID Australia through the National AIDS Commission (KPA-N) Indonesia to provide a significant boost to strategic men who have sex with men (MSM) research in Indonesia. Through 2011, the four projects were developed and designed in collaboration with KPA-N, GWL-INA (the national gay and MSM Network) an d Indonesian academics. The four projects will take place in a combination of five cities across Indonesia: Jakarta; Medan; Surabaya; Makassar and; Denpasar.The projects are:

  1. Men-4-Health Indonesia: A two mode network study of gay men, bisexual men and other MSM and sites of engagement (both physical and online)
  2. Norms Practices and Values: A qualitative study of norms, values, and modes of engagement (social and sexual) among MSM
  3. Stigma - Case Studies of Understandings and Experiences: A multi-method study examining the construction and operation of stigma and resistance to this
  4. Processes of Learning About Sexual Health Among Young People: A study involving focus group methodologies to explore how young people develop their understandings of sexuality (including same sex attraction) and sexual health and the sources that they consider credible in this process.

Stopping ARV Treatment in Indonesia

Stephen McNally, Luh Putu Lila Wulandari (Udayana University) and Adi Mantara (Yakeba)

This qualitative study, conducted in partnership with Udayana Univeristy and a local drug user organisation (Yakeba), explores why people in Bali make the decision to stop antiretroviral treatment (ARV) and what their experiences are during the time of stopping treatment. In-depth interviews with 25 people who stopped treatment for more than three months began in late 2011. The results from this study will help improve the level of care and support in Indonesia for people taking ARV treatment and also to improve the health and wellbeing of people who take ARV treatment.

Drug Taking Practices and Harm Reduction Services in Indonesia

Larissa Sandy, Stephen McNally, Yvonne Sibuea (Performa, Central Java, Indonesia)

This collaborative research project aims to describe and explain drug-taking practices and people’s experiences accessing harm reduction services in Semarang, Indonesia. The study is in partnership with Performa, a community based drug user organisation in Central Java. To date, very little information is available on non-injecting drug use and drug-taking practices in Central Java and little research has been done on people’s experiences of using harm reduction services like the needle and syringe exchange and suboxone and methadone maintenance programs. The study seeks to capture recent changes in drug-taking practices and explore the possible effects in other areas of HIV risk, including sexual practices. The project includes a survey with people who use drugs and interviews with harm reduction service providers. Data has been collected on drug-taking patterns, people’s experiences of providing and accessing harm reduction services, STI and HIV testing, and the sexual practices of people who use drugs in Indonesia. The project will provide data to improve harm reduction services in Indonesia and contribute to understanding the changing patterns of drug use with the introduction of methamphetamines and the non-therapeutic use of opioid substitution therapies like buprenorphine.

MSM in Guangdong Province

Jeffrey Grierson, Stephen McNally, Marian Pitts and Ci-Yong Lu (School of Public Health, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China)

This study examined the experiences of men who have sex with men (MSM) in Guangdong province, China, including the sexual practices, sexual identity, social networks, health and social connectedness of participants. The project was conducted in collaboration with Sun Yat-Sen University at the Shenzhen Chronic Diseases Control Centre. 210 men completed a short survey and an additional 15 participated in qualitative interviews to contextualise the findings.

Project Men – An Internet Study

English Language

Marian Pitts, Anthony Smith, Jeffrey Grierson, Stephen McNally, Murray Couch, Geoffrey Smith and Anthony Lyons

Indonesian Language: Proyek Laki-laki – Penelitian Internet

Murray Couch, Marian Pitts, Anthony Smith, Jeffrey Grierson, Stephen McNally, Geoffrey Smith and Dédé Oetomo (GAYa NUSANTARA Foundation)

Thai Language: โปรเจคแมน - การศึกษาผ่านทางอินเตอร์เน็ท

Jeffrey Grierson, Marian Pitts, Anthony Smith, Stephen McNally, Murray Couch and Geoffrey Smith

Vietnamese Language: HƯỚNG TỚI NAM GIỚI MỘT NGHIÊN CỨU QUA INTERNET

Stephen McNally, Marian Pitts, Anthony Smith, Jeffrey Grierson, Murray Couch, Geoffrey Smith, Khuat Thu Hong (Institute for Social Development Studies) and Duong Le Bach (Institute for Social Development Studies)

This multi-language study aims to: 1) describe and understand experiences of male-to-male sexual practices and to understand the meanings attached to experiences of male-to-male sex in the Asia Pacific Region; 2) provide data and analyses to support targeted HIV prevention and sexual health promotion initiatives for MSM in the Asia Pacific region; and 3) to provide baseline data for focused qualitative research with communities of MSM in the Asia Pacific Region. The project is an internet-based survey. This methodology allows for participant anonymity and confidentiality and for access from a broad range of MSM, including those not regularly in contact with the usual data collection sites for research. Specifically the project will collect detailed data on relationships, sexual practice, sexual health and social networks.

The English language survey achieved a sample size of 1,069, the Bahasa Indonesia survey a sample of 508 and the Thai survey a sample of 674. The Vietnamese sample was completed in 2011 and achieved 1,069 respondents.

The findings from these studies will enhance knowledge about the health, general wellbeing and social experiences of these very diverse populations. The findings will also focus further research efforts by providing baseline data and indicative direction to further research endeavours. The research directly supports efforts in health promotion for MSM in the region, particularly in settings where current evidence is limited in scope, detail, appropriateness or diversity of population.

Sun Snow Sport and Sex: The Role of Situational Disinhibition in HIV and STI Risk Among Gay Men at International Gay Sporting Events

Jeffrey Grierson and Peter Saxton (University of Otago)

In global terms, it has long been understood that the risk of HIV and STI infection has been significantly mediated by geographic mobility and displacement. The bulk of research and prevention work in relation to mobility has been conducted in developing countries and has focussed on migrant workers. Two major factors contribute to increased risk: 1) epidemiological considerations of shifting background prevalence of infections and bridging of epidemics and; 2) social effects of individuals being in a displaced normative context where patterns of social and sexual behaviour are suspended and opportunities for sexual partnering are enhanced. Recently, there has been increased attention on the way in which these factors play out in the context of gay men’s travel and tourism. This project has examined these issues for gay men at a major international gay sporting event.

The project employed a brief self-complete questionnaire to examine the role that being away from home plays in mediating sexual practices among a sample of gay men attending the 2nd Asia Pacific Outgames in 2011. A total of 343 men completed the survey and findings are currently being prepared for publication.