Protect Yourself and Others: Analyzing Facilitators and Barriers of a Digital Approach to the STI Epidemic amongst Men who have Sex with Men

Gänzler, Beatrice (2023) Protect Yourself and Others: Analyzing Facilitators and Barriers of a Digital Approach to the STI Epidemic amongst Men who have Sex with Men. Master thesis, Psychology.

Text B.H. Gänzler (S3930866) - MSc. Thesis.pdf Restricted to Repository staff only Download (1MB)

Abstract

Rising rates of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) constitute a serious public health threat. Through a heightened STI prevalence and inconsistent condom use, men who have sex with men (MSM) are particularly vulnerable. Partner notification (PN) is an efficient way to manage the spread of infections, where the diagnosed individual refers at-risk sex partners to healthcare institutions. This requires the contact information of said partners, which is not always exchanged during casual sex encounters. To tackle this issue, an app called “BumpIt” was conceptualized as a part of this research project. BumpIt resembles an innovative method of PN that enables contacting unidentifiable sex partners. In case of a positive STI test, it allows for PN through anonymous digital connections. In order to understand the facilitators and barriers to using such an app, eight MSM in the Netherlands were interviewed on their perceptions of PN and BumpIt. The data were interpreted through a thematic analysis. The following seven themes were identified: risk perception, responsibility, distrust, affect, social factors, personal factors and the inaccessibility of sexual health care. The outcomes suggest a pronounced need for a PN app and for accessible STI screening amongst MSM. Future research may consider the development of corresponding policies and a prototype app to foster the early detection of STIs.

Item Type:	Thesis (Master)
Supervisor name:	Koc, Y.
Degree programme:	Psychology
Differentiation route:	Applied Social Psychology (ASP) [Master Psychology]
Date Deposited:	16 Aug 2023 15:17
Last Modified:	16 Aug 2023 15:17
URI:	http://gmwpublic.studenttheses.ub.rug.nl/id/eprint/2758

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