TY - JOUR
T1 - Good in parts
T2 - The Gay Men's Task Force in Glasgow - a response to Kelly
AU - Hart, G. J.
AU - Williamson, L. M.
AU - Flowers, P.
PY - 2004/2/1
Y1 - 2004/2/1
N2 - We know that peer education, or the use of popular opinion leaders (POLs), works in terms of reducing reported risk behaviour for HIV infection amongst gay men. The work of Jeffrey Kelly and his colleagues provides some of the best scientific evidence in support of this approach. Influenced by this work, we undertook a peer education intervention amongst gay men in bars in Glasgow - the Gay Men's Task Force (GMTF) - but failed to demonstrate any reduction in sexual risk behaviour for HIV infection. In this paper we describe why we were unable to repeat in Scotland the success in small cities in the USA of the POL model. Our explanations include: failure to replicate the 'core elements' of POL; spatial and temporal differences between the original POL settings and the bars of Glasgow; and the currency of ideas such as 'peer education' beyond the protocols designed for their implementation. However, we also describe some of the successful features of the GMTF in Glasgow, and the continued value of peer education in contributing to reductions in sexual risk behaviour for HIV infection.
AB - We know that peer education, or the use of popular opinion leaders (POLs), works in terms of reducing reported risk behaviour for HIV infection amongst gay men. The work of Jeffrey Kelly and his colleagues provides some of the best scientific evidence in support of this approach. Influenced by this work, we undertook a peer education intervention amongst gay men in bars in Glasgow - the Gay Men's Task Force (GMTF) - but failed to demonstrate any reduction in sexual risk behaviour for HIV infection. In this paper we describe why we were unable to repeat in Scotland the success in small cities in the USA of the POL model. Our explanations include: failure to replicate the 'core elements' of POL; spatial and temporal differences between the original POL settings and the bars of Glasgow; and the currency of ideas such as 'peer education' beyond the protocols designed for their implementation. However, we also describe some of the successful features of the GMTF in Glasgow, and the continued value of peer education in contributing to reductions in sexual risk behaviour for HIV infection.
KW - HIV
KW - Glasgow
KW - Gay Men's Task Force
KW - sexual risk behaviour
KW - education intervention
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0842309121&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1080/09540120410001641002
DO - 10.1080/09540120410001641002
M3 - Article
C2 - 14676022
AN - SCOPUS:0842309121
SN - 0954-0121
VL - 16
SP - 159
EP - 165
JO - AIDS Care - Psychological and Socio-Medical Aspects of AIDS/HIV
JF - AIDS Care - Psychological and Socio-Medical Aspects of AIDS/HIV
IS - 2
ER -