Queenstown's annual Gay Ski Week could become the subject of a University of Otago "situational risk" study on gay men's sexual behaviour during major overseas sporting and social events.
Headed by Dr Peter Saxton, of the university's Auckland-based Department of Preventive and Social Medicine, researchers are conducting the study entitled "Sun, Snow, Sport, Sex" with the Australian Research Centre in Sex, Health and Society and Melbourne's La Trobe University in association with the New Zealand Aids Foundation.
The primary focus is on HIV and the resurgence of syphilis among gay populations in major Western cities including Sydney and Melbourne.
The Winter Festival event is billed as the "biggest gay alpine party in the southern hemisphere" and runs in the last week of July.
Gay Ski Week New Zealand 2011 (GSWNZ) had been eyed as a research platform but Dr Saxton said enough valuable data was gathered from more than 450 gay men who took part in the study at the second Asia Pacific Outgames held in Wellington in March.
"We're still thinking of including Gay Ski Week in Queenstown but probably not until 2012, and it may be that the logistical and funding issues make it too difficult even then," Dr Saxton said.
GSWNZ general manager Mike Sanford said he supported the research and would be happy to help researchers and potential subjects interact at the event's nightly happy hours.
"We're supportive of any study that would help prevent HIV and STIs and encourages responsibility with safe sex," he said.
Dr Saxton said the anonymous, confidential study would "directly inform HIV prevention work in a range of major gay events in Australia and New Zealand... and will demonstrate the feasibility and utility of research on situational risk at major gay events."
Participants would be presented with questions like "When you're away from home in a party and sporting environment, do you take more risks? Do you drink more? Do you have more sex or different sex?" he said.
The brief questionnaire examines the role being away from home plays in mediat-ing sexual practice among the sample group of gay men.
Results from the Asia Pacific Outgames survey were expected later this year, Dr Saxton said.
