Three Or More Study: (TOMS)

Information Sheet

About the survey and interviews

TOMS is a short survey of men who have had group sex with other men in Australia. It will provide valuable information for health promotion efforts and may be used in the development of health promotion materials for gay and other men who have sex with men. Some men are also being asked to be interviewed in more detail on another occasion. TOMS was initially funded by a grant from the NSW Health Department and additional support is currently provided through the National Centre in HIV Epidemiology and Clinical Research.

Who is being asked to respond?

Only men who have had group sex with other men in the past five years should complete the survey or participate in a more detailed interview.

What is involved?

You are being asked to complete the attached survey form. Completion of the survey will take about 10-20 minutes. You should only complete one survey form, even if you are approached more than once.

Confidentiality

The survey is completely anonymous. Do not write your name or put any identifying marks on the questionnaire. To ensure anonymity in the survey, consent forms are only being used for those men who agree to a more detailed interview at a later date. No identifying details will be recorded on either the survey or the more detailed interviews.
Complaints may be directed to the Ethics Secretariat, The University of New South Wales, Sydney 2052 AUSTRALIA (phone 9385 4234, fax 9385 6648, email ethics.sec@unsw.edu.au) or to the Secretary, Faculty Human Ethics Committee, Faculty of Health Sciences, La Trobe University, Victoria, 3086, (ph: (03) 9479 3573), e-mail: n.humphries @latrobe.edu.au .

Feedback

As this is an anonymous survey, feedback will be provided through the media, through public meetings and seminars (advertised in the gay and other press), and through reports and publications prepared by the TOMS study team.

Your Consent

To ensure anonymity in the survey, consent forms are only being used for those men who agree to a more detailed interview at a later date. No identifying details will be recorded on either the survey or the more detailed interviews. Your decision whether or not to participate will not prejudice your future relations with La Trobe University, The University of New South Wales, the University of Sydney, the Victorian AIDS Council, the Queensland Association of Healthy Communities or the AIDS Council of NSW. If you decide to participate, you are free to withdraw your consent and to discontinue participation at any time without prejudice

Inquiries

If you have any questions, please feel free to ask us. If you have any additional questions later, please direct any inquiries to Dr. Garrett Prestage, National Centre in HIV Epidemiology and Clinical Research, The University of New South Wales (02) 9385 0900.

LET ME DO THE SURVEY

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Would you like to participate in a more detailed interview about group sex?

Over the coming weeks, the TOMS study team will be conducting more detailed interviews with a small number of men about the issue of group sex. If you would like to help, please call Jeff Hudson: on (02) 9036 6143 or email TOMS@nchecr.unsw.edu.au