App Outreach Portal
The use of Hook up apps in health promotion offers many unique outreach opportunities to reach gay, bi+ and queer men and other men who have sex with men (GB+QMSM) who otherwise might not access health information through other avenues. By doing ‘passive’ outreach work within this space, we bring our services to our community instead of requiring them to come to us through conventional methods.
Online spaces such as Grindr act as informal community networking tools for GB+QMSM to organise sex and develop a variety of relationships and friendships.
Outreach workers and volunteer ‘Sexperts’ enter these online spaces to answer questions from GB+QMSM in an anonymous, approachable and sex-positive way. This outreach is passive in that Sexperts do not solicit contact with users but can answer questions if asked.
The most common topic of conversation with Sexperts relates to general sexual health, PrEP, risk reduction and testing.
The ACON Code of Conduct dictates how all ACON staff and volunteers should behave when engaging with the community, including online spaces. Sexperts should be confident in their ability to discuss HIV and sexual health with people in an accurate, accountable, and peer-led way. If you aren’t feeling confident for whatever reason, please contact Harrison using hsarasola@acon.org.au.
Our guidelines for responding to questions from community members:
Be clear.
Use simple language and terminology.
Ensure your reply addresses their concern.
Be reassuring.
Stay calm, use simple language
Be friendly and sex-positive.
We are not here to judge or shame.
Celebrate informed sex and sexual health.
Try and keep things light and upbeat.
If you are not 100% sure of your answer, get in contact with Harrison Here
Lastly, don’t worry if the community member doesn’t respond. They don’t have to if they don’t want to, just report it here.
Setting up your Mobile
Important - if you have an existing personal Grindr profile. Please ensure you have backed it up to your personal google drive. Otherwise, you might lose your chat history.
STEPS
STEP 1: Download Grindr
STEP 2: Make sure you have your Sexpert login and Sexpert image ready to go!
STEP 3: Log into Grindr using your login.
STEP 4: Copy the below into your profile BIO:
”Here to help. Send me a message to talk about sex, HIV, prep or sexual health. Have a question? I have answers. You can ask me anything!”
STEP 5: Make sure that your profile looks like this: (don’t be afraid to shake up your age too!)
STEP 6: Set up chat backup by going to SETTINGS > scroll to chat > Chat Backup > enter your sexpert email and password
(this will be a gmail account already)
And done!
Setting up a PC *please note currently not availible
ONLY accessible if you have a phone which you can use to unlock Grindr
STEP 1: Login to your Grindr mobile app
STEP 2: Open https://web.grindr.com/
STEP 3: Either, login to Grindr Web using your grindr email/passcode OR use the QR code feature. This can be found in the settings tab *see below*
Return to Menu / Back to 3.0 Getting Started
Setting up a Sexperts Phone
STEP 1: Turn on your Sexperts phone.
STEP 2: Open Grindr from the main screen.
STEP 3: Enter your passcode
STEP 4: You will be logged in, if prompted to restore your chat history. Select yes.
The Reporting Process
Reporting is easy. After each chat with a person, just report it here. or you can save this link on your phone for even easier access:
What if I miss something?
If you miss reporting a conversation. When you remember, jump onto the reporting page here and report the interaction. Just make sure you back date it.
RBelow are some responses to some regular questions we get during outreach.
Please note: Grindr has a character limit of 250 words so you might need to copy each part of the response and send this in separate messages. To help you do this quickly we use the ‘|’ as a symbol to indicate where you can copy and paste up to for any given response. Simply copy up to that point, and edit/send to the person, come back to the page and copy the rest and that’s it! :)
Dick pic response
I’m sorry, I’m not here for physical demonstrations. But if you have a sexual health questions, happy to answer them :)
Happy grinding!
HIV - Transmission
Note: before responding with info, always try to ask questions that help you understand what is happening for the person your talking to. Use what, when and how questions to get more information and help you better assess the situation - validate their experience and reassure the person your talking to before getting into questioning.
It can also be helpful to first let them know why you’re asking questions, for example:
Them: I’m worried I’ve been exposed to HIV… what should I do?"
You: ‘Hey there, thanks for getting in touch. So I can help you I need to ask you a few questions, are you able to tell me a little about why your concerned?”
Some good follow up questions (rewrite them to sound like you):
- When you had the hook that you were worried about?
- What about that hook up was a concern for you?
- How can I help? or What sort of support were you looking for?
HIV - Transmission - standard responses
HIV is transmitted by 6 fluids, blood, cum (sperm), pre-cum,anal fluids, vaginal fluids (front hole) and breast (chest) milk. Coming into contact with these fluids isn’t enough to contract the virus, enough of the virus needs to enter your | blood stream for you to be at risk. A great tool which might help is the risk calculator from ACON here: https://endinghiv.org.au/stay-safe/risk-calculator/
- new message -
If your worried you might be exposed to HIV it’s a good idea to have a chat to a health professional and book in for a test. Sexual Health Info link is a confidential and free service which connects you to a sexual health nurse. | It’s free, You don’t need to provide any details and can ask your sexual health related questions.
- new message -
You can call SHIL Mon - Fri 9am till 5:30pm on 1800 451 624 or for more info, here is their website: https://www.shil.nsw.gov.au/.
HIV - Oral sex
Oral sex is considered very low risk for HIV transmission. Oral sex can transmit other STI’s (which can be easily cured/treated, but no stress,if your worried book a simple and easy HIV & STI test here: https://endinghiv.org.au/test-often/
TESTING
Is testing confidential?
Absolutely! - confidentiality is really important to sexual health nurses.
Where can I get tested?
Ending HIV has a great tool to help you to find your nearest sexual health clinic here: https://endinghiv.org.au/test-often/where-to-get-tested/
Is testing free?
Great question! - YES! testing for STIs and HIV is free at sexual health clinics and ACON’s aTEST clinics. More info, including locations here: https://endinghiv.org.au/test-often/where-to-get-tested/ - most also, won’t require you to have a medicare card!
How often should I get tested?
You should get tested 4 times a year if you are sexually active or once a year if your aren’t sexually active or are in a monogamous relationship.
PREP
What is PrEP?
PrEP stands for Pre Exposure prophylaxis. It’s a pill you take before having sex which prevents you from contracting HIV. PrEP can be taken daily, Periodically (for a short period of time - like Mardi Gras) or | by taking PrEP on demand for periods of…fun :P. Here’s a page with all the details: https://endinghiv.org.au/stay-safe/prep/
How can PrEP be taken?
There are a few ways you can take PrEP, ACON’s ending HIV website has a great breakdown of each of these ways here: https://endinghiv.org.au/stay-safe/prep/ - but we also recommend | having a chat to your GP about which of these three ways works for you before taking any medication.
How can I access PrEP?
If you have a medicare card you can access medicare through your regular GP as PrEP is now listed on the pharmaceutical benefits scheme (PBS). If you don’t have have medicare there are still ways you can access PrEP! | we would recommend getting in touch with PAN PrEP Access Now - https://www.pan.org.au/
What is PEP?
PEP stands for Post Exposure Prophylaxis. If a person is concerned they have come into contact with HIV during a hook up they can access PEP. It must be taking within 72 hours of coming into contact with HIV. | The medication lasts for a month and if taken within 72 hours, dramatically reduces the risk of HIV transmission.
Where can I get PEP?
To access PEP you can generally visit your local sexual health clinic or your local accidents and emergency department (at hospital). To find out where to get PEP go here: https://www.getpep.info/get-pep-now/nsw/.
NOTE: a person might also want to speak with a sexual health nurse, so please mention SHIL just in case.
To end your shift, follow these quick steps.
For each conversation - quickly fill out one of these forms (really important to record that we supported a community member).