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COVID-19 may threaten the already poor mental health outcomes of Australian gay and bisexual men and cut ties to important social/sexual networks and community. Qualitative research into the experiences of gay and bisexual men during COVID-19 regulations is currently sparse. We report on 489 responses to a qualitative free-text question asking Australian gay and bisexual men about the impacts of COVID-19 during April 2020. Issues pertinent to gay and bisexual men include lost ties to gay and bisexual social/sexual communities, spaces, and activities, which can reduce a sense of belonging to important sexual identity spaces, as well as significant mental well-being vulnerabilities. Reminiscing the collective response to HIV/AIDS, findings reinforce the value of gay and bisexual community organizations, spaces, and networks as supports for gay and bisexual men and emphasize the need for delivering mental health services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research shows that some heterosexually identified men engage in sex with men; however, they remain largely hidden and little understood. Despite long-standing scholarly recognition that sexual identity and orientation do not always neatly coincide, the culturally normative heterosexual/homosexual binary tends to shape mainstream perceptions of such men as well as render them invisible in sexual health systems reliant on stable sexual identity categories. This invisibility, in turn, perpetuates the fiction of the binary. We explore perspectives on heterosexually identified men who have sex with men, drawing on recent research literature and on qualitative interviews with "key informants" in the Australian sexual health field who have frontline knowledge of these men. We consider the limitations of inventing a label to "encapsulate" these diverse men but also the significance of finding a language that meaningfully acknowledges their sexual realities and highlights heterosexuality as more varied and fluid than social attitudes and traditional sexual identity categories permit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sexual racism can be thought of as a specific form of racial prejudice enacted in the context of sex and dating. It is a contentious issue among gay and bisexual men looking for partners online. This study draws upon 14 in-depth interviews conducted between August and October 2012 with gay and bisexual men of colour in Australia. Data were thematically analysed to identify interpretations and experiences of, and reactions to sexual racism online. Understandings of online sexual racism were diverse, ranging from clear ideas about racist and non-racist practices to more ambiguous and contextual interpretations. Nevertheless, all participants described experiences of sexual racism while seeking partners online, which were, in some cases, largely indistinguishable from generic forms of racism. Most described experiences of subtle racism, but there were also cases of blatant and aggressive racial prejudice. Finally, men reacted in a range of ways when confronted with online sexual racism, with strategies ranging from disconnection to adaptation through to confrontation. Our findings highlight that sexual racism – as an expression of racism generally – is an ongoing issue for men who seek out other men online, and that men engage in a range of strategies for mitigating the negative effects of racial prejudice in this domain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The relevance of community in the face of mounting individualism remains a pressing sociological issue. Social fragmentation challenges traditional communities of shared identifications and collective memberships while flexible relationship options lead sociologists to question the real benefits of friendships and the viability of personal commitments. These issues are sharply defined in current debates about ‘gay community’ and whether sexual practices can generate solidarity among a diversified social group. AIDS educators have long relied on notions of ‘gay community attachment’ and sociologists enthusiastically explore the innovative potential of gay and lesbian friendships for rethinking community today. Drawing evidence from a national e-male survey of the social relationships and sexual behaviour of over 4000 gay and bisexual men, we suggest that community pessimism is exaggerated. We contest unified sexualized notions of (gay) community and identify a potential for solidarity within these men’s friendships, sexual relationships and personal communities. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

We report a patient who developed titanium metallosis after uncemented bipolar shoulder replacement, where the bipolar bearing was cobalt-chrome-molybdenum alloy on ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene. At revision surgery, extensive metallosis in the tissues was noted. Examination of the retrieved prosthesis revealed no evidence of wear of the bipolar articulation, although areas on the humeral stem were found where the porous titanium coating had debonded and separated from the stem. Analysis of the tissues revealed the metallic particles within the soft tissues to be almost exclusively titanium, which most likely originated from the debonded porous titanium coat. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In May 2022, a global outbreak of mpox (formerly monkeypox virus) affected thousands of mainly gay and bisexual men. Mpox is usually a time-limited illness that can involve fever, pain, and skin lesions, but may require hospitalisation. There is scant research into the firsthand experiences of people affected by mpox, including experiences of symptoms, healthcare, and recovery. This study considers the different illness narratives of people who experienced mpox in Australia in 2022. In-depth interviews and 6-month follow-up interviews were conducted with 16 people, including 13 people diagnosed with mpox and three close contacts. All participants were cisgender gay or bisexual men living in Australia. Participants’ accounts described minor to severe periods of sickness, negative and stigmatising experiences engaging with healthcare, and some participants experienced long-term effects on their sexual well-being and complications from mpox. The emergency outbreak context meant that mpox was highly distressing, making it difficult to manage and producing varying forms of disruption to everyday life. Mpox was narrated as disruptive in different ways: as a minor interruption to holiday plans, a prolonged period of poor health, or a biographically disruptive event prompting a re-evaluation of sexual values and health. This analysis demonstrates that an unfamiliar emergent disease outbreak related to sexual practices and sociality can reconfigure personal life and sexual well-being, suggesting a need to focus on providing quality patient care in outbreaks of mpox and other infectious diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]