Carlos Speulvada (VAC/GMHC) reports on the development and evaluation of the Down an' Dirty website - an online source of information about sexual health and sexual practices for sexually adventurous men. This presentation was given at the AFAO/NAPWA Gay Men's HIV Health Promotion Conference in May 2012.

1. Does getting down an’ dirty with sexually
adventurous men (SAM) work?
A report on the website
May 2012
Carlos Sepulveda VAC/GMHC

2. The Issue:
A need for an online source of information about sexual health
and sexual practices to be perceived as CREDIBLE.
How:
Consultation:
- One on one
- Focus Groups
Who:
35 SAM
Ages:
Between 23-56

3. Description:
In October 2011 down an’ dirty (Dan’D) was launched.
From theory to final product:
Concept. Dynamic and adaptable, Interactive.
Engagement. Quality, innovation (videos), belongingness to the
community.
Promotion. Launch, events, word of mouth, RECON.
Evaluation.

4. What we found:
Engaging with different people and groups in the
community from early stages empowers them, giving
ownership on the initiative.
Recommendation:
- Listen.
- Keep a written history of all the communication with
third parties.
- Keep everyone up to date on the process.

5. What we found:
In general focus group participants had a very positive
response to the Dan’D website. It was found to be
engaging, informative and easy to use.
Recommendation:
- Looks matter.
- Simple language.

6. What we found:
Participants responded favourably to the interactive
features of Dan’D and found these easy to use.
Recommendation:
- Minimize the need to scroll down.
- Avoid big blocks of text.
- Have a good search function.

7. What we found:
Participants found it
easy to relate to the
men in the videos
and their stories, as
they were real
people telling their
stories.
Recommendation:
- The power of word of mouth and peer influence.
- Value of intimacy.
- Provide the same exposure to all videos by avoiding
scrolling.

8. The numbers:
From 22 March to 22 May 2012 there
were:
622 visits
467 absolute unique visitors
68.49% new visits
39.39% bounce rate
Engagement with the website:
In terms of engagement on the same
period:
12,476 page views
6.56 minutes average time on site
6.16 page visits