Respecting local sexual cultures—The process of innovative HIV prevention outreach within a public sex environment

Abstract

Despite emerging evidence of the efficacy and continued importance of sexual health outreach within public sex environments (PSE), current literature fails to examine how such interventions work. Accordingly, we present a qualitative process evaluation of an innovative PSE outreach service in England, UK. Through interviewing volunteers (n = 5), cruisers (n = 14), and all salaried staff (n = 5), we provide an insider's perspective highlighting both the challenges of PSE outreach provision and the unique solutions developed locally. Outreach success is achieved through respecting the local sexual culture within which cruising activities occur. Moreover, this illustrates the importance of local cultural sensitivity when delivering health promotion in challenging settings.