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Gay Men's Health Survey (GMH)

McDaid, L. and Hilton, S. (2026) Gay Men's Health Survey (GMH). [Data Collection]

Datacite DOI: 10.5525/gla.researchdata.2181

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Gay Men's Sexual Health Survey in Scotland

Collection description

From 1996-2014, the Gay Men’s Sexual Health Survey collected data every three years on the sexual behaviour and health of gay and bisexual men in Scotland to inform sexual health services. The survey recruited participants from bars and saunas in Glasgow and Edinburgh using time- and location-based sampling to capture men active on the gay scene, including those who do not regularly attend sexual health clinics. Participants completed anonymous self-administered questionnaires covering demographics, sexual health service use, and sexual behaviour over the previous 12 months, including a measure of higher risk unprotected anal intercourse. Between 2005 and 2014, the survey additionally collected oral fluid specimens for anonymous HIV testing, and the 2014 wave also tested for Hepatitis C, allowing estimates of prevalence and undiagnosed infection. Over the lifetime of the survey, 12,622 men aged 15–83 years participated, providing a rich dataset to monitor trends in sexual behaviour, HIV/STI testing, and health outcomes among gay and bisexual men in Scotland. This dataset is anonymised.

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