Community-focussed sexual healthcare research, led by researchers who are part of the transmasculine community.

Are you a trans man or transmasculine person?

Have you sought sexual healthcare advice from a doctor or healthcare professional? Or have you done self-tests relating to your sexual or reproductive health?

Got strong feelings about it?

Are you eighteen years of age or older?

You may be eligible to take part in a research interview and help improve sexual health services for your community!

About the research

We are seeking volunteer research participants to be involved in a study about trans men and transmasculine people’s experiences of sexual health services on this continent (so-called australia).

I’m interested in any stories about your sexual healthcare that you want to share. This might include (but is not limited to):

• Self-testing for HIV or other sexually transmitted infections (STIs);
• Testing with a doctor or through a clinic for HIV or other sexually transmitted infections (STIs);
• Cervical screening/pap smear;
• Contraception/birth control;
• Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and/or post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP);
• Assessment and treatment for urinary tract infections (UTIs), thrush, or similar.

I’m especially interested in any stories of LGBT-specific clinics, self-tests or DIY tests, reflections on how doctors and clinicians made you feel, and how the specific context of your life may have imapacted the care you received. 

The project is community-focussed, led and conducted by researchers who are part of the transmasculine community.

We are investigating how trans men’s and transmasculine people’s specific sexual healthcare needs are being addressed (or not), whether or not we find the advice, education, diagnoses and treatments that our healthcare practitioners provide to be appropriate and relevant, and how we are taking care of ourselves and each other in the face of poor sexual health services.

The project will focus on relationships between patient and service provider, and between us and our broader community. I will be asking not just whether medical care is provided, but also whether you felt respected and comfortable in the process of accessing treatment, and how you manage your own care.

This study is open to anyone who is a trans man or transmasculine, including non-binary people who identify with transmasculinity.

About you

You may be eligible if you:

• are 18 years of age or older;
• are a trans man, transmasculine, FTM and/or Brotherboy, or otherwise identify with transmasculinity;
• have attended a sexual healthcare clinic and/or sought advice from doctor or healthcare professional about sexual health and/or participated in sexual health-related self-tests in australia; and
• are able to converse in English, even if it is not your first language.

If you are interested in taking part in a research interview for this project, contact Florin (contact details below). Florin will get in touch to conduct a short screening process, consisting of a few questions, to confirm your eligibility.

If we proceed with an interview, a time will be arranged for a 60–90-minute interview to take place, conducted by Florin (in person or via online video call), where you will have the opportunity to share your thoughts about your experiences of sexual healthcare.

About the doctoral investigator

Florin (BA (Hons)) is a PhD candidate based at Deakin University as part of the school of Sociology. Florin is a queer trans man and has used his research and writing skills to advocate for trans people for many years. He is passionate about sexual health, community-based collective care, and health autonomy.

About the supervising investigator

Dr J. R. Latham is a Senior Research Fellow and Australian Research Council DECRA fellow in the Centre for Transformative Media Technologies at Swinburne University of Technology, Melbourne, Australia. His work considers how self-understandings of gender and sexuality intersect with norms of society and practices of medicine. He is a queer trans man deeply invested in improving healthcare for marginalised people, and he has published widely in these areas.

 

Contact us and get involved!!

If you are interested in taking part in a research interview for this project, contact Florin:

Click here to contact Florin via form

Once you’ve reached out, Florin will get in touch to conduct a short screening process, consisting of a few questions, to confirm your eligibility. Once we have confirmed that you are eligible, a time will be arranged for a 60–90-minute interview to take place, conducted by Florin (in person or via online video call), where you will have the opportunity to share your thoughts about your experiences of sexual healthcare.