Gay Community Periodic Surveys

The Gay Community Periodic Surveys (GCPS) are repeated, cross-sectional surveys of gay men, conducted in the metropolitan areas of seven Australian states and territories. They are a key part of Australia’s behavioural surveillance system for HIV, monitoring sexual practices, drug use and patterns of testing for HIV and other STIs.

Initiated in 1996, the GCPS are conducted in capital cities and other densely populated areas of Australia where gay men congregate: Adelaide, Canberra, Melbourne, Perth, Queensland (Brisbane, Cairns and the Gold Coast) and Sydney. In 2014, Tasmania was added to the network of GCPS locations. The GCPS deliberately target men who are socially and sexually involved with gay men, and recruit participants at gay community venues and events, sexual health clinics and online.

The surveillance system relies on a longstanding collaboration between CSRH, The Kirby Institute, state health departments, and national and state community organisations. Recruitment is typically coordinated in each state/territory by a local community organisation. The results of each survey are published in an individual state or territory report while national trends are presented in our Annual Report of Trends in Behaviour.

For media enquiries, please contact Professor Martin Holt on m.holt@unsw.edu.au or +61 2 9385 6410.

Funding Agencies

ACT Health, NSW Health, Queensland Department of Health, WA Health, Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing, SA Health, Tasmanian Department of Health and Human Services

Collaborators

The Kirby Institute

If you are searching for a report published prior to 2010, please visit UNSWorks, the UNSW Open Access institutional repository.

Publications

Australian gay and bisexual men who use condoms, PrEP or rarely practise HIV risk reduction with casual sex partners: an analysis of national, behavioural surveillance data, 2017–2018. (Published in AIDS & Behavior, 2020).https://doi.org/10.1007/s10461-020-02928-9

Increases in HIV testing frequency in Australian gay and bisexual men are concentrated among PrEP users: an analysis of Australian behavioural surveillance data, 2013–2018. (Published in AIDS & Behavior, 2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10461-020-02826-0

Assessing the HIV prevention needs of young gay and bisexual men in the PrEP era: an analysis of trends in Australian behavioural surveillance, 2014-18. (Published in AIDS & Behavior, 2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10461-020-02797-2

HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis cascades to assess implementation in Australia: results from repeated, national behavioural surveillance of gay and bisexual men, 2014-2018. (Published in JAIDS, 2020). https://doi.org/10.1097/QAI.0000000000002243

Gay men’s relationship agreements in the era of pre-exposure prophylaxis: an analysis of Australian behavioural surveillance data. (Published in AIDS & Behavior, 2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10461-019-02737-9

Which gay and bisexual men attend community-based HIV testing services in Australia? An analysis of behavioural surveillance data. (Published in AIDS & Behavior, 2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10461-019-02435-6

Community-level changes in condom use and uptake of HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis by gay and bisexual men in Melbourne and Sydney, Australia: results of repeated, behavioural surveillance in 2013-17. (Published in Lancet HIV, 2018). http://doi.org/10.1016/S2352-3018(18)30072-9

Adapting behavioural surveillance to antiretroviral-based HIV prevention: reviewing and anticipating trends in the Australian Gay Community Periodic Surveys. (Published in Sexual Health, 2017). http://doi.org/10.1071/SH16072

The use of mobile phone apps to meet sex partners by Australian gay and bisexual men: an analysis of sex-seeking repertoires and risks for HIV and STIs using behavioural surveillance data. (Published in Sexually Transmitted Infections, 2016). http://doi.org/10.1136/sextrans-2015-052325

Methamphetamine use among gay and bisexual men in Australia: trends in recent and regular use from the Gay Community Periodic Surveys.(Published in International Journal of Drug Policy, 2016). http://doi.org/10.1016/j.drugpo.2016.01.003

Social and behavioural correlates of HIV testing among Australian gay and bisexual men in regular relationships. (Published in AIDS and Behavior, 2015). http://doi.org/10.1007/s10461-015-1167-y

HIV prevention by Australian gay and bisexual men with casual partners: the emergence of undetectable viral load as one of a range of risk reduction strategies. (Published in Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes, 2015). http://doi.org/10.1097/QAI.0000000000000787

Estimating antiretroviral treatment coverage rates and viral suppression rates for homosexual men in Australia. (Published in Sexual Health, 2015). http://doi.org/10.1071/SH15037

Alcohol use among a community-based sample of gay and bisexual men: correlates of high-risk use and implications for service provision. (Published in Drug and Alcohol Review, 2015). http://doi.org/10.1111/dar.12234

Younger age, recent HIV diagnosis, no welfare support, and no annual sexually transmissible infection screening are associated with non-use of antiretroviral treatment among HIV-positive gay men in Australia. (Published in HIV Medicine, 2015). http://doi.org/10.1111/hiv.12169