Newswise — Why are some men, both HIV-positive and negative, still engaging in risky activities with male partners?
Dr. Trevor Hart, director of the HIV Prevention Lab at Ryerson University, is conducting a comprehensive study to find out the answer to this perplexing and alarming question.
In a four-year study, the Sexual Health and Attitudes Research Project (SHARP), the psychology professor is examining the connection between social anxiety and its effect on men who have unprotected sex with other men.
“Higher social anxiety is associated with risky behaviour, but we’re not sure why,” says Dr. Hart, the study’s principal investigator. “One of our hypotheses is that social anxiety carries over into sexual encounters, making it difficult for some men to take necessary precautions against HIV if they think it will be perceived negatively by their partner.”
Dr. Hart and his research team have interviewed 300 men from the Greater Toronto Area to better understand the link and develop practical solutions.
The SHARP study, which is funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), is one of several research projects being conducted at Dr. Hart’s lab.
“Preventing HIV transmission is the mission of our lab,” says Dr. Hart. “Ultimately, we want to know how we can help people.”
Armed with a five-year CIHR New Investigator Salary Award in HIV Research, Dr. Hart and his 12-member research team are focusing their attention on three key areas:
•Identifying risk factors in unprotected sex among adolescents and adults who are at risk of contracting or transmitting HIV;•Examining the link between physical health and psychological outcomes among people living with HIV; •Testing behavioural interventions to promote sexual health and to reduce sexual risk outcomes among people at high risk of contracting HIV and people living with HIV.
Other research projects underway include examining factors that influence HIV-positive women’s decision whether or not to become pregnant, HIV transmission among youth with disabilities and attitudes towards AIDS and risk factors among young adults in Pune, a city in India that has been hit hard by the incurable disease.
Dr. Hart will also present some of his research projects on risky sex and psychological distress at conferences in New York City and in Toronto later this month.
The findings from Dr. Hart’s SHARP study are expected to be published within the next two years.
Ryerson University is Canada's leader in innovative career-focused education, offering close to 100 PhD, master’s, and undergraduate programs in the Faculty of Arts; the Faculty of Communication & Design; the Faculty of Community Services; the Faculty of Engineering, Architecture and Science; and the Ted Rogers School of Management. Ryerson University has graduate and undergraduate enrolment of 25,000 students. With more than 68,000 registrations annually, The G. Raymond Chang School of Continuing Education is Canada's leading provider of university-based adult education.
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