Men Who Have Sex with Men and Partner Notification in Ireland

Abstract

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 men's 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.