Over 1,000 men who attended Auckland's Big Gay Out in Coyle Park on Sunday shared intimate - and important - information about their sex lives in a 5-minute survey. GAPSS survey recruiters at the Big Gay Out The Gay Auckland Periodic Sex Survey (GAPSS), a biannual study of sexual behaviour and attitudes to HIV, contained questions on explicit topics such as the number of sexual partners had in the last six months and whether condoms are always used for anal sex. Questions about awareness and use of NZ's gay media and hook-up websites were also included. GAPSS is conducted by the New Zealand AIDS Foundation in collaboration with the University of Otago. "This is the largest number of surveys ever collected at the Big Gay Out, beating our previous collection record by over 200," says NZAF Senior Researcher Peter Saxton. "So a huge thank you to everyone who participated on Sunday. The GAPSS team will now be visiting Auckland gay bars, saunas and cruise clubs for the rest of this week, so that other guys will be able to have their experiences counted in the study." The Big Gay Out is organised and sponsored by the New Zealand AIDS Foundation (NZAF) and Marquis Condoms as a day of fun and affirmation for the Hero Festival. NZAF Executive Director Rachael Le Mesurier says she would like to thank the Big Gay Out's organiser Jonathan Smith and the many volunteers who helped the day run smoothly, managing the entertainment stage, the information tent, collecting over $2,000 in donations, and acting as ambassadors. "The Big Gay Out is a major GLBT community event and it would not be possible to run without support from our communities – including the many thousands who attended!"
Credit: GayNZ.com News Staff
First published: Tuesday, 12th February 2008 - 10:26pm