We promote sexual health whether you are gay, straight, bisexual or prefer not to be labeled at all. This is a non-judgmental and non-discriminatory space that respects diversity in all its forms. This site provides you with information on safer sex practices, covers some frequently asked questions on sexual orientation and gender, STIs and HIV. You can link up with your local campus co-ordinator and join the diversity conversation.
CAMPUSSEX.CO.ZA is part of the sex-positive movement and embraces the following key aspects:
It allows for and celebrates sexual diversity, different desires and relationships structures, and individual choices based on consent.
It embraces the idea of being sexually educated and staying safe. What is key is understanding risk in terms of exposure to HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases and knowing how to manage your own and partner/s’ body fluids.
The MSM/ LGBTI HEI Programme is funded by the Global Fund and managed by NACOSA, at higher education institutions in South Africa.
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Questions asked: SA study on men who have sex with men
Questions have been asked about a major new study on HIV prevalence among men who have sex with men (MSM), including gay and bisexual men, in three South African cities. The findings of the Human Sciences Research Council study, called the Marang Men’s Project, was released on Tuesday, based on research conducted from 2012 to 2013 among 925 MSM. The results were widely reported in the mainstream press. The study found that relative to national estimates, HIV prevalence is very high among MSM in South Africa’s three largest cities. In Cape Town, the overall prevalence of HIV among the MSM recruited into the study was 22.3%, in Johannesburg it was 26.8%. In Durban, the prevalence was unusually high among respondents, namely 48.2%. Researchers found that HIV prevalence was higher among self-identified gay men, especially in Johannesburg and Cape Town, compared to those who identified as bisexual or straight. For example, in Cape Town self-identified gay MSM were three times more likely to be living with HIV than their bisexual counterparts. “The statistical difference between the two was significant,” said the authors. The study also found that a large percentage of the men surveyed engaged in either selling or buying sex (transactional sex). Over half of the respondents (52.6%) in Cape Town, 11.4% in Durban and 23.1% in Johannesburg reported that they had “sold sex to men” in the last six months. A high percentage of the MSM surveyed further reported that they had been previously jailed, with this being highest among respondents in Cape Town (67.8%), followed by Johannesburg (42.6%) and lowest in Durban (8.7%). Some may question the...
Challenging assumptions: Gender non-conforming men & bi men in SA
The lives of gender non-conforming gay and bisexual black men in South Africa are generally not well understood by academics. Results of a local study on this group of men, however, have contrasted with previous international research and challenged perceptions of gender and sexual identity. Studies conducted in 2005, 2006 and 2007 in Western countries have consistently demonstrated that as a consequence of more frequent discrimination, gender non-conforming (GNC) gay and bisexual men experience more mental distress than gender conforming gay or bisexual men. Similar studies have not been undertaken in low and middle-income countries, despite the fact that gender non-conformity is evident in expressions of same-sex sexuality in such countries. The recent South African (SA) study explored two things. Firstly, whether GNC among gay and bisexual black men in SA, was associated with depression and, if this is the case, whether the association was mediated or moderated by discrimination. Secondly, the study explored the potential protective effect of being “out” as same-sex oriented as well as community involvement on the relationship between GNC and depression. The study found that in South Africa GNC is pervasive in the expression of same-sex sexuality. It also found that the expression of same-sex sexuality seems to reproduce a binary of masculinity and femininity among gay and bisexual men much more than in developed countries. Furthermore, the study showed that some gay and bisexual black men in SA openly display feminine behaviours and participate in traditionally feminine occupations, while others display more masculine identities. For example, within some black same-sex relationships, there are “wives” and “husbands” with clearly defined boundaries. The study surveyed...