17c起草社区

THE聽Wickham Hotel will offer the Gay Community Periodic Survey (GCPS) via a physical dropbox option as a compromise to its initial rejection of the survey’s standard in-person distribution method, after reaching an agreement with facilitators.

In what has been called a “welcome step” by the primary GCPS investigator, Queensland AIDS Council (QuAC) and Queensland Positive People (QPP) have agreed to the Wickham鈥檚 suggestion that will see surveys provided to patrons from next Monday.

However,聽the compromise was not an indication that the hotel had gone back on its original position, according to the Wickham鈥檚 marketing manager Patrick Macdonald.

鈥淭his is not reversal of any decision on our part, as the [dropbox] offer has always been there from us,鈥� he聽said.

The dropbox offer was one of several compromises put to the HIV organisations last Friday before . Suggestions also included providing social media and newsletter links to participate in the GCPS online.

RELATED:

However, the GCPS is only currently provided in paper form and not available online, while the COUNT study requires a saliva specimen.

鈥淲e also offered cross-promotional opportunities and have yet to hear anything about that, but we will push ahead with that anyway since we are, and have always been, keen to allow access to our channels to assist the cause,鈥� Macdonald added.

QuAC executive director Michael Scott said that both HIV organisations refused the Wickham鈥檚 initial dropbox offer due to concerns they had about its聽effectiveness.

鈥淚t鈥檚 a good thing that some Wickham patrons can actually do the GCPS鈥� but I do wonder how many people will actually complete the survey,鈥� Scott told the 17c起草社区.

鈥淚t鈥檚 better than nothing but far shorter than optimum.鈥�

The Wickham鈥檚 original position was based on the grounds that they felt the surveys聽would be 鈥渢oo confronting鈥� for the range of clientele that the hotel now attempts to attract.

Macdonald said that he considers the dropbox option to be less confronting.

鈥淭his method is a paper survey method, as opposed to our guests being approached in-person,鈥� Macdonald told the 17c起草社区.

UNSW Centre for Social Research for Health associate professor and lead GCPS and COUNT investigator, Martin Holt, welcomed the Wickham鈥檚 offer but said he could not support it as it was not a useful distribution method for the surveys.

鈥淥ne of the reasons we do face-to-face recruitment is that it is quicker and more efficient than passive (dropbox) recruitment,鈥� he told the 17c起草社区

鈥淎lso, with a dropbox we can鈥檛 assess the participation rate (who took part out of the eligible people approached). That鈥檚 important for assessing the acceptability and representativeness of the survey.

鈥淭he in-person method is far more effective.鈥�

Scott added that in his experience, questions about HIV prevention methods such as聽PEP and PrEP聽are common during the GCPS.

鈥淧art of the point of the GCPS is actually educational. This will be lost if educators are not there facilitating the surveys. The GCPS is not a tick and flick survey,” he聽said.

Holt defended the role and traditional in-person distribution method of the annual survey, which he said was first established in 1996, after observing negative comments expressed over social media about the GCPS and its presence at LGBTI-friendly venues.

鈥淸The GCPS is] the primary source of data in Australia for monitoring gay and bisexual men鈥檚 behaviour, particularly safe and unsafe sex, HIV testing and drug use,鈥� he聽said.

鈥淲e deliberately target men who are at gay venues and events because gay and bisexual men who are socially and sexually-active with each other are more likely to be at risk of or affected by HIV.”

The Brisbane Gay and Lesbian Business Network (GLBN) issued a statement acknowledging the importance of surveying the LGBTI community for health and well-being, but said they supported the Wickham鈥檚 鈥渞ight to decide what occurs at their venue鈥�.

鈥淸The Wickham] highlighted their concerns about patrons being pressured into answering a survey containing detailed personal questions including an individual鈥檚 sex life and saliva swabs,鈥� GLBN president Tyrone Shandiman said.

While supporting the Wickham鈥檚 right to choose how it operates, Holt said participants were not 鈥減ressured鈥� to respond to the GCPS.

鈥淚t鈥檚 entirely up to those men whether they do so or not. The recruiters鈥� training directly addresses the fact that no-one is obliged to take part; if someone says 鈥榥o鈥�, the recruiter moves on,鈥� he聽said.

鈥淭o make the survey data as relevant and useful as possible, we try to recruit a broad range of men from venues and events. That is why we aim to include all of the popular gay venues in each city.”

Holt said that in his experience, the community has been 鈥渋ncredibly supportive鈥� about taking part in the GCPS at venues.

鈥淯nfortunately, in this case the owners seem to be basing their decision on inaccurate assumptions about how gay and bisexual men will respond to requests to participate in research,鈥� he聽added.

However,聽Holt accepted that the saliva required for COUNT might be confronting聽for some.

鈥淸The COUNT decision is] disappointing, but perhaps a little more understandable. COUNT is a bit more involved, because we are asking men to provide an oral sample to be tested for HIV,” he said.

鈥淲e have done [COUNT] without a hitch in dozens of venues… so it鈥檚 a bit strange that we are experiencing such resistance from this one venue in Brisbane.鈥�

Holt added that in the bigger picture, the GCPS and COUNT only operates once a year and does not impose a burden on participants or聽venues.

鈥淎sking for five to 10聽minutes of someone鈥檚 time to complete an anonymous survey is hardly a big imposition,” he said.

“On the venue side, the recruiters will be in the venue for maybe 6 hours in total. Is that really a big ask, given that the venue operates all year round?”

Meanwhile, it聽was revealed during an interview on聽Wednesday this week on Brisbane鈥檚 Queer Radio program that Macdonald, who sits on QuAC鈥檚 board, has never participated in the GCPS.

Macdonald told the 17c起草社区 that he believes he is qualified to speak to the nature of the study.

The GCPS dropbox will be available through all areas of the Wickham Hotel from September 22鈥�28.

Main photo: The Wickham Hotel in Brisbane. Photo: David Alexander; 17c起草社区)

RELATED: