Share Your Story
Very few records survive that describe how gay men, other men who had sex with men, and trans people experienced venereal disease before the 1980s. Sharing your story can help prevent this history from being lost forever.
Are you a gay man, a man who has sex with other men, or trans?
Were you born in 1962 or before?
Have you had sexual contact with a man before 1981 in Canada, the United States, or England?
Have you had an experience* of venereal disease (VD, or sexually transmitted infection) before 1981 that you would be willing to share anonymously?
*An experience of VD could include one or more of the following:
You were infected with VD (including, but not limited to: anal or genital warts, chancroid, gonorrhoea, hepatitis, herpes, lymphogranuloma venereum, non-gonococcal urethritis, and syphilis)
You helped a male friend or trans friend who was infected or feared infection with VD
You were concerned or otherwise affected by the risks of VD
You worked to promote sexual health and/or reduce VD transmission rates among gay men and/or other men who had sex with men.
If you answered yes to each of the four numbered questions above, you are eligible to participate in the ‘Before HIV’ project.
Recruitment for the Before HIV project questionnaire is currently paused. To register your interest, please contact Dr McKay at ram78@cam.ac.uk.