C. Coleman

Men Who Have Sex with Men and Partner Notification in Ireland Beyond Binary Dualisms of Gender and Healthcare

The process of partner notification (or contact tracing) is regarded as the cornerstone in the prevention and control of sexually transmitted infections, yet almost nothing is known of the lay experience of partner notification. This article draws on a mixed methods study designed to explore lay perspectives among men who have sex with men (MSM) in the Greater Dublin Area in relation to partner notification for syphilis. Specifically, this article tests two related hypotheses with regard to gay mens help-seeking behaviour: first that MSM might contest a hegemonic masculine model of help-seeking behaviour and second that MSM have difficulties engaging with partner notification because of the difficulties of tracing anonymous sexual contacts. The findings suggest that the health-seeking behaviours of MSM in this study disrupt binary dualisms of hegemonic masculine and hegemonic feminine patterns of health-seeking behaviours and also contradict some health professional stereotypes of gay relationships.

Regulating sexual bodies or addressing health needs? Men who have sex with men and partner notification

Partner notification is the process by which people who are thought to have been exposed to sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are traced, informed about their exposure and invited to attend clinical services. It is the cornerstone of genitourinary medicine for the prevention and treatment of STIs. The central question of the article is whether partner notification (PN) represents the medical regulation of sexual bodies or is an appropriate medical response to health care needs. The question is first of all addressed through contrasting theoretical lenses: a Functionalist Parsonian perspective, a Post-structuralist, Foucauldian perspective and a critical theory Habermasian perspective. The question is then explored empirically by drawing on the perspectives of men who have sex with men (MSM) as drawn from a study of MSMs lay perspectives on partner notification in the context of a syphilis outbreak in Dublin. The findings show that the views of MSM in this study suggest that PN is an appropriate response to health care needs and, thus, the lay views most clearly resonate with a functionalist understanding of trust in the expert and moral status of public health. However, the difficulties MSM experience in complying with PN also suggests that the medical logic of PN needs to be counter-balanced with the social logic as derived from lay experiences of its practice in their lives. A critical theory approach holds potential for mediating between medicines regulation of sexual health and individual health care needs.