STRATEGIES IN ELICITING SENSITIVE SEXUAL INFORMATION - THE CASE OF GAY MEN

Project SIGMA's research on gay men's sexual behaviour and Aids and HI V infection has posed complex ethnographic and methodological problems which have required unorthodox and innovative strategies for their so lution. Three main problem areas included: value-conflict between inte rviewer/HIV tester roles; Issues concerning data confidentiality and l egal interference, and the elicitation of detailed sexual behaviour. T he procedures developed have clear applicability to other research con cerned with covert, stigmatised and legally-sensitive behaviour or dat a.