Recorded presentation

Jeffery Adams, MA¹, Virginia Braun, PhD¹, and Timothy McCreanor, PhD². (1) Department of Psychology, University of Auckland, Private Bag 92019, Auckland, New Zealand, 64-9-373 7599 ext 82073, j.adams@auckland.ac.nz, (2) Centre for Social and Health Outcomes Research and Evaluation (SHORE) and the Whariki Research Group, Massey University, PO Box 6137, Wellesley St, Auckland, New Zealand

Within public health, it is only relatively recently that disparities between the health of gay men and that of men in general have been given attention (e.g., in the AJPH, 2001). Action on this knowledge depends on how it is taken up in health policy and practice. We use two contrasting data sets – selected international policy documents on gay men’s health (including those produced by the American Public Health Association) and interviews with Aotearoa/New Zealand (A/NZ) key informants involved in gay men’s health – to consider the framing of gay men’s health as a public health concern. The data reveal that internationally a range of organisations have addressed gay men’s health issues, which contrasts with the situation in A/NZ where there has been limited policy work around such issues. The critical analysis of the policy documents reveals a diversity of voice as to who contributes to the official framing of gay men’s health issues, with two patterns (inclusion and exclusion) being found. In A/NZ, in contrast, the key informants reveal little interest in these issues from both gay-specific and mainstream health organisations, and from individual gay men and community groups. While policy development internationally is based on a range of research evidence, our informants identified a need for ‘robust local evidence’ before emphasis on gay men's health issues would be possible – but simultaneously identified serious research gaps within A/NZ. This paper concludes by considering some implications for gay men’s health resulting from the differing approaches adopted internationally and within our country.

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