Pandemy or a new STI - monkeypox cases at the semmelweis university department of dermatology, venereology and dermatooncology

After the global pandemic caused by the coronavirus, another epidemic began to unfold, which again induced fear in the population. This new epidemic is caused by the monkeypox virus and originated in Africa. It mainly spreads among MSM (men who have sex with men) population, so it can be interpreted as a new type of sexually transmitted infection.

Pengetahuan HIV/AIDS dan Faktor Keterlibatan dalam Hubungan Romantik serta Ketertarikan Seks Sesama Jantina : Kajian Kes dalam kalangan Mahasiswa Gay

Kajian ini bertujuan meneroka pengetahuan mahasiswa tentang risiko jangkitan HIV/AIDS, faktor keterlibatan dalam hubungan romantik dan ketertarikan seks sesama jantina. Masih kurang kajian yang memberi tumpuan kepada amalan hubungan romantik dan ketertarikan seks sesama jantina serta kesedaran mahasiswa tentang HIV/AIDS impak daripada tingkah laku seks berisiko ini. Banyak kajian terdahulu lebih menumpu kepada faktor keterlibatan dalam hubungan romantik dan ketertarikan seks sesama jantina tanpa mengaitkannya dengan kesedaran mahasiswa gay terhadap jangkitan HIV. Kajian ini menggunakan pendekatan kajian kes dan direkabentuk bersesuaian kaedah kajian kualitatif. Seramai empat informan dalam kalangan mahasiswa Institusi Pengajian Tinggi di Malaysia yang membuat pengakuan identiti gay telah terlibat dalam kajian ini. Pemilihan informan adalah menggunakan teknik Persampelan Snow Ball. Pengumpulan data telah dijalankan secara atas talian dengan menggunakan medium Google Meet. Semua informan ditemubual dalam talian secara konferen video. Data temu bual dianalisis menggunakan analisis tematik. Hasil analisis menunjukkan terdapat empat faktor risiko keterlibatan mahasiswa dalam hubungan romantik dan tingkah laku seksual sesama jantina iaitu (i) pengalaman menjadi mangsa gangguan seksual semasa kecil, (ii) faktor naluri semulajadi, (iii) pengaruh rakan/komuniti berisiko gay dan (iv) pengaruh negatif daripada media sosial dan internet. Informan juga mempunyai pengetahuan asas tentang risiko jangkitan HIV. Walau bagaimanapun, kesemua informan percaya tingkah laku mereka mempunyai risiko rendah dan tidak mudah untuk dijangkiti HIV. Salah faham tentang risiko jangkitan HIV bagi seks tidak selamat dan seks luar tabi' dipercayai mendorong amalan hubungan seks sesama jantina dilakukan tanpa rasa takut dan menurunnya keprihatinan kepada seks selamat dalam kalangan mahasiswa gay. Kajian mencadangkan salah faham tentang risiko jangkitan HIV sebagai faktor baharu penyebab amalan seks sesama jantina yang berterusan dalam kalangan informan yang dikaji. Intervensi perlu dibentuk bersesuaian faktor risiko hubungan romantik dan tingkah laku seksual sesama jantina agar ia dapat dibendung daripada menular dalam kalangan mahasiswa gay.Alternate :This study aims to explore the knowledge of HIV/AIDS infection risk and the factors that contribute to same-sex romantic relationship involvement and same-sex sexual attractions among university students. Less studies have been done focusing on same-sex romantic relationships and same-sex sexual attraction among self-identified gay university students and their awareness of the HIV/AIDS impact due to risky sexual behaviour. Many previous studies were found to focus only on gay students' romantic relationships and samesex sexual attraction involvement factors without relating these factors with their awareness of HIV infection. This study uses a case study approach and is designed following qualitative research methods. Four students who self-identified as gay were selected as informants. Snow Ball Sampling is used as the informants' selection technique. Data collection was conducted online using the Google Meet platform. All informants were interviewed online via video conference. The thematic analysis has been used to analyse the interview data. The study analysis demonstrated four risk factors conduce to a same-sex romantic relationship and samesex sexual behaviours among gay students: (i) sexual abuse experienced during childhood;(ii) same-sex sexual attraction as an instinct factor;(iii) gay friends/community influenced and (iv) internet and social media negative influence. All informants are identified to have basic HIV risk infection knowledge. However, those in a same-sex relationship believe same-sex romantic relationships and same-sex sexual practices have a low risk of HIV infection. The misunderstanding of HIV infection in same-sex sexual practices and unsafe sex is believed to contribute to a consistent no fear of same-sex sexual practices and less concern towards safe sex among ay students. This study suggests a misunderstanding of HIV infection as the new factor contributing to continuous same-sex sexual practices among studied informants. Intervention needs to be developed tailored to the same-sex romantic relationship and same-sex sexual attraction risk factors to curb the spread among gay students.

Queering public health: a critical examination of healthcare access and gender expression among trans, nonbinary, and other gender nonconforming people during COVID-19

Research documenting the impact of COVID-19 on Two-Spirit, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (2SLGBTQ+) populations in Canada is limited. Our objectives were to investigate the impact of COVID-19 lockdown measures on the lives of trans, nonbinary, and other gender nonconforming (TGNC) people. Engage COVID-19 is a mixed methods study examining the impact of COVID-19 on gay, bisexual, queer, and other men who have sex with men (GBQM) living in Vancouver, Toronto, and Montreal, Canada. Using purposive sampling, we conducted in-depth qualitative interviews (between November 2020-February 2021 and June-October 2021) with 93 participants who discussed the impact of COVID-19 on their lives. Seventeen participants were identiAed as TGNC. TGNC participants reported barriers to trans healthcare during the initial months of the COVID-19 pandemic. Several participants indicated that some public health interventions during COVID-19 (i.e., lockdowns) eased the pressure to "perform" gender due to fewer in-person interactions. During lockdowns, TGNC participants increasingly cultivated community networks online. Nevertheless, participants reported longing for the social support that was available to them during pre-COVID. Lack of access to community spaces during lockdowns had a negative impact on participants' mental health, despite reduced pressure to perform gender and opportunities for social engagement in online spaces.

A brief response to Anderson & Knee (2020) queer isolation or queering isolation?

Comments on the original article by A. R. Anderson and E. Knee (see record 2020-49749-001) by encouraging readers to embolden themselves with queer theory for its liberatory intent and potential. In particular, this article troubles notions of queer space and time to illuminate the ways queers are not hapless victims to gentrification (amidst COVID-19 or otherwise) and encourages us to continue imagining and enacting more hopeful, equitable futurities (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)

Introduction: A call to action for affirming all LGBTQ+ students in higher education

This introductory chapter provides a brief description about the book and its subsequent chapters. The book covers the experiences of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) Black, Indigenous, and other People of Color, and other marginalized student communities, in the narrative about supporting LGBTQ+ students in higher education. In 2021, LGBTQ+ college students are struggling in the midst of two pandemics, COVID-19 pandemic and the systemic racism, violence, and murders of Black people at the hands of police officers in the United States. Colleges and universities are also grappling with precisely how to challenge systemic racism on their campuses while managing the stress of navigating a public health pandemic in residential university and college settings. The book provides university faculty, staff, administrators, and students with more information on LGBTQ+ college students, who have been typically neglected or ignored in discussions about the wellness and needs of LGBTQ+ college students. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

As the World Struggles With the COVID-19 Pandemic, Another Emergency Threat Arrives on the Horizon, the Monkeypox: A Systematic Review.

The whole world got threatened by COVID-19, which made a significant loss in various sectors and pushed the world into a deep valley. Now a new threat, the emerging outbreak of monkeypox is rapidly spreading across the globe and is currently being observed in more than 110 countries with 79,473 confirmed cases and 50 deaths. Data were collected from PubMed, EMBASE, MEDLINE, Cochrane, Scopus database, African Journals OnLine, internet library sub-Saharan Africa, and Google Scholar. Most data were taken from the democratic Republic of Congo, the Central African Republic, Cameroon, the Republic of Congo, Liberia, Nigeria, the US, and the UK. Case reports, outbreak investigations, epidemiological studies, and surveillance studies were reviewed to find epidemiological details about the outbreak. A total of 50 peer-reviewed articles and 20 grey literature articles, including 9050 cases, were identified for data extraction. Our systematic review revealed that the group most affected is male (95.5%), with a median age of 33.8 years. A total of 55% of the transmission was sexually transmitted. The most commonly reported symptoms such as vesicular-pustular rashes (97.54%), fever (55.25%), inguinal lymphadenopathy (53.6%), exanthema (40.21%), fatigue, headache, asthenia (26.32%), myalgia (16.33%), vesicles and ulcers (30.61%) in the anogenital regions were some of the significant findings. The case fatality rate was observed to be up to 8.65%. The most affected country was the USA, which has the most fatalities in younger ages involved in homosexuality, suffering from HIV or sexually transmitted diseases (STDs).

"It's finding peace in my body": Using crip theory to understand authenticity for a queer, disabled college student

Using narrative inquiry and guided by crip theory, we critiqued the relationship between the experiences of one queer, disabled college student and compulsory able-bodiedness, compulsory heterosexuality, and academic ableism. Findings reveal the complexities of claiming crip and passing. They also reveal resistance to these complexities through the dynamic process of radical self-love and the identity of a queer health rebel. In turn, this resistance led to a fluid conceptualization of authenticity as a student development construct. Implications of these findings suggest educational practices that foster holistic access-including those offered for nondisabled students during the COVID-19 pandemic-and reject academic ableism. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

Stronger Together: Coalitions as Interventions Against Intersectional Stigma

In response and in a show of solidarity, global community-led networks- MPact Global Action for Gay Men's Health, the Global Network of People Living with HIV, the International Network of People Who Use Drugs, Global Action for Trans Equality, and the Global Network of Sex Work Projects- joined forces to cocreate HIV2020, the first alternative, community-led global HIV conference.7 Although most HIV conferences have narrowed their focus to treatment, clinical care, and other biomedical solutions, HIV2020 articulated a vision for and by key population communities. HIV2020 elevated necessary blunt discussions about sex and drug use from the points of view of communities engaged in these practices rather than encasing them in public health discourse, which can often be focused on disease and risk rather than identities and pleasure.8 The community-led conference endeavored to create a radically different global gathering in which intersectional coalitions and solidarity movements could be envisioned and formed to counter divisive agendas. [...]this was the first major conference to have done so, demonstrating yet again ingenuity and flexibility. People living with HIV, gay and bisexual men, people who use drugs, sex workers, and transgender people united in open recognition ofthe overlap between their communities and a common understanding about the synergistic and compounding effects of stigma faced by individuals with multiple community memberships and identities.

AIDS - New Zealand

In 2020, 75% of all locally acquired HIV diagnoses will be among gay, bisexual, and other males who have sex with men, indicating that they will continue to be the group in New Zealand most at risk for contracting the virus. Since the peak in 2016 (n=97), the number of MSM reported to have contracted HIV in New Zealand has been declining, with the number in 2020 (n=49) being the lowest since 2011. This is probably because pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and more testing choices are being pushed and made available to this group as combination preventive treatments. Less transmission as a result of COVID-19 physical distancing measures and more restricted testing access will also have contributed to the drop in 2020. It will be crucial to keep an eye on these figures to see if the lower trend persists, as well as to keep up the preventative efforts of routine HIV testing and linking to care and treatment, investigating potential sexually transmitted diseases. In New Zealand in 2020, little over half (54%) of people with heterosexually acquired HIV had a CD4 count at the time of diagnosis that was less than 350 cells/mm3, which was a sign of a delayed diagnosis of their HIV. In addition, six of the 14 patients who received an AIDS diagnosis in 2020 were heterosexually acquired;four of them also received an HIV diagnosis at the same time. Therefore, even if there do not seem to be any obvious risk factors, doctors should test for HIV in patients with similar clinical symptoms. Through antenatal screening in 2020, three women who had recently been diagnosed with HIV were given the opportunity to choose their own medication and care, lowering the chance of mother-to-child transmission. The significance of the antenatal HIV screening program in preventing vertical and secondary transmission is further highlighted by this.

Reflections on the HIV/AIDs crisis, COVID-19, and resilience in gay men: Ghosts of our past, demons of our present

The COVID-19 pandemic has radical implications for how we perceive our environment. Worldwide, people have been asked or required to limit close proximity with others not of their household, and to wear masks in public. In my practice with gay men, I have seen clients present with feelings of guilt triggered by the current public health crisis, with its prolonged physical distance from others and authorities' warnings about the dangers of physical closeness. This chapter briefly explores the history of the HIV/AIDS crisis in America in relation to the current pandemic, the resurgence of shame and guilt about identity, and the return to complex relational roles, with particular regard to violation of expectations as it relates to lack of or poor responsiveness from caregivers. The role of resilience in marginalized communities' response to government neglect will be addressed. Brief case vignettes of diverse gay and queer identifying men will be presented to illustrate the effects of the slow burn of isolation stress on men who lived through the HIV/AIDS crisis and now live with the coronavirus pandemic. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

Small-Town Pride: Understanding People in Their Social Worlds

This article traces the “shadow geographies” of the 1980s gay bar scene in Ohio’s capital, Columbus, and contrasts it with the emergence of LGBTQ movements in Midwestern small towns. Urban gay bar scenes have declined since at least 2009, and the COVID-19 pandemic has only hastened their demise. At the same time, pride events have emerged in the communities like Parkersburg, West Virginia;Washington, Pennsylvania;Marysville, Ohio, and;and many other cities and towns with populations under 50,000 people. The decline of urban gay bars does not mean the demise of LGBTQ activism;it just means that we should look for activism outside of urban centers.

THE STATISTICS OF HUMAN SEXUALITY

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVE: In 2015, English statistician and academic David Spiegelhalter wrote a book backed by the History of Medicine of the Wellcome Foundation entitled Sex by Numbers: What Statistics Can Tell Us About Sexual Behaviour. This represents an investigation into the statistics of human sexual activity to update the statistics of Kinsey and show the startling influence by the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: The investigation of the statistics of sexual activity is as enlightening as it is entertaining and there is a plethora of literature on modern sexual practices. This represents a concerted effort to track down these numbers and this data. The largest pornographic site, Pornhub®, also tracks its own statistics since its founding in 2007. RESULTS: An intriguing statistic is that the average number of sexual partners is about 9.9 (6.6 at Kinsey Center) for males and about 3.4 (4.3 at Kinsey) for females in their lifetimes. The exception to this is with homosexual persons, where the averages are much higher. Nature versus nurture is the classic tale of which is more important, genetics or environment, but most often there is a bit of both behind the scenes. Sexual activity is one of the most difficult topics of historical significance, because it is interleaved with so many socio-religious overtones. The average male loses his virginity at age 16.9, compared to age 17.4 for females. About 1 in 10 married adults sleep alone and not with their married spouse - shades of Dick Van Dyke and Mary Tyler Moore in The Dick Van Dyke Show. Only 29% of females achieve orgasm during sexual encounters, compared to 75% in their male counterparts. Currently, 66% of male college students report having “friends with benefits.” Also, currently 50% of sexually active men and women are infected with HPV at some point in their sexual lives. Sexual activity burns about 100-200 calories in males and about 69 calories in females but the heart rate at orgasm is about 140 and equal in both sexes. CONCLUSIONS: Spiegelhalter dedicated his statistical analysis “to everyone in history who has struggled with sex. And eventually called it a draw.” There is something like 900,000,000 acts of just heterosexual intercourse per year in Great Britain alone or roughly 100,000 per hour. This can all be extrapolated to the 7 billion humans around the world making close to 166,667 copulations per minute (or almost 4,000 per second).

Syphilis self-testing to expand test uptake among men who have sex with men: a theoretically informed mixed methods study in Zimbabwe.

OBJECTIVES: Self-testing for STIs such as HIV and syphilis may empower sexual minorities and expand uptake of STI testing. While much is known about HIV self-testing (HIVST), less is known about syphilis self-testing, particularly in low-income settings. The objective of this study is to determine context-specific facilitators and barriers for self-testing and to assess the usability of syphilis self-testing in Zimbabwe among men who have sex with men (MSM). METHODS: This mixed methods study was conducted in Harare as part of a larger syphilis self-testing trial. The study included in-depth interviews (phase I) followed by usability testing and a second interview (phase II). In-depth interviews were conducted with MSM and key informants prior to syphilis self-testing. The same MSM then used the syphilis self-test, quantitatively assessed its usability and participated in a second in-depth interview. Phase I data were analysed using a thematic approach, guided by an adapted social ecological model conceptual framework. Phase II interviews were analysed using rapid assessment procedure methodology, and usability was assessed using a pre-established index, adapted from existing HIVST scales. RESULTS: Twenty MSM and 10 key informants were recruited for phase I in-depth interviews, and 16 of these MSM participated in phase II by completing a syphilis self-test kit. Facilitating factors for self-testing included the potential for increased privacy, convenience, autonomy, and avoidance of social and healthcare provider stigma. Barriers included the fear to test and uncertainty about linkage to care and treatment. Data from the Usability Index suggested high usability (89.6% on a 0-100 scale) among the men who received the self-test. CONCLUSIONS: MSM in Zimbabwe were willing to use syphilis self-test kits and many of the barriers and facilitators were similar to those observed for HIVST. Syphilis self-testing may increase syphilis test uptake among sexual minorities in Zimbabwe and other low-income and middle-income countries.

SOUTH AFRICAN TRADITIONAL HEALERS PERCEPTIONS OF HOMOSEXUALITY

This qualitative study on traditional healers' perceptions of homosexuality has contributed to indigenous knowledge in the Northern Sotho ethnic group in South Africa. An exploratory research design using snowball sampling was employed. The study was underpinned by Afrocentric theory. The sample consisted of ten traditional healers, seven females and three males. Data was collected using individual, face-to-face semi-structured interviews. Thematic content analysis was used to analyse the data which yielded several major themes and sub-themes: Theme 1: Homosexuality threatens family structure and values, sub-theme 1.1 Homosexuality and thepreservation offamily bloodlines and/or surname, sub-theme 1.2 Homosexuality and procreation. Theme 2: Homosexuality is regarded as taboo and a disgrace, sub-theme 2.1: Homosexuality and Northern Sotho culture, sub-theme 2.2 Homosexuality is un-Godly. Theme 3: Homosexuality and western culture, sub-theme 3.1 Homosexuality and modernisation, sub-theme 3.2 Homosexuality and responsibility. The research discovered that the traditional healers had negative views towards homosexuality and offered traditional explanations for this. However, one of the healers said they would help homosexuals who approached them. A recommendation for future research is to find out perceptions of the homosexual community in terms of how they are treated by traditional healers.

Recruiting Black Men Who Have Sex With Men (MSM) Couples via Dating Apps: Pilot Study on Challenges and Successes.

BACKGROUND: HIV disproportionately impacts Black men who have sex with men (MSM), and targeting the primary relationship (ie, couples) using mobile technology for health holds promise for HIV prevention. Web-based recruitment of MSM is commonly employed in HIV prevention and intervention research. However, little known about recruiting Black MSM couples on the internet in the United States. OBJECTIVE: This study describes the process of recruiting Black MSM couples over social networking and dating apps frequented by MSM. We describe the activities for recruiting, screening, and enrolling participants as part of a randomized trial employing a multipronged recruitment approach. METHODS: Black MSM in couples were recruited via three apps (ie, Jack'd, Adam4Adam, and Growlr) between May 2020 and March 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States. Black MSM couples were eligible if one or both partners are Black, MSM, and living with HIV, and if both partners were 18 years or older, and have been together for at least 2 months in what they both consider a primary relationship (ie, one in which both partners reported feeling most committed to over any other partner or relationship). RESULTS: A total of 10 Black MSM couples (n=20) were enrolled via social networking apps. App recruitment activities were a combination of passive (eg, in-app advertisements) and active (eg, direct messaging of users) engagement. Recruitment approaches varied by the social networking app owing to differences in app features. A full-time recruiter experienced challenges such as bugs (ie, technical errors in computer program or system), navigating technical requirements specific to each app, and web-based harassment. CONCLUSIONS: Despite challenges, it was possible to recruit Black MSM couples virtually into research as part of a multipronged recruitment strategy. We identify tips for using web-based dating and other social networking apps as part of a recruitment strategy in future research with Black MSM couples.

Resisting colonization in higher education and empowering LGBTQ+ students: Mobilizing toward liberation

This concluding chapter provides a brief description about the book and its preceding chapters. The book provides practical frameworks for university faculty, staff, administrators, and fellow students to better support lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or queer (LGBTQ+) college students, who are typically overlooked in research and literature. As colleges and universities are adjusting to the changes brought on by the COVID-19, racist, and anti-Black pandemics, xenophobic policies, and transphobic policies, it has become particularly important for higher education professionals to make their support for all LGBTQ+ students visible. In order to develop interventions that are effective, it is first necessary to understand the various factors influencing LGBTQ+ students' experiences on college and university campuses. The chapter provides specific systemic recommendations for institutions of higher education to go beyond being a safe space for LGBTQ+ students and move toward decolonization and liberation. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

Introduction: A call to action for affirming all LGBTQ+ students in higher education

This introductory chapter provides a brief description about the book and its subsequent chapters. The book covers the experiences of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) Black, Indigenous, and other People of Color, and other marginalized student communities, in the narrative about supporting LGBTQ+ students in higher education. In 2021, LGBTQ+ college students are struggling in the midst of two pandemics, COVID-19 pandemic and the systemic racism, violence, and murders of Black people at the hands of police officers in the United States. Colleges and universities are also grappling with precisely how to challenge systemic racism on their campuses while managing the stress of navigating a public health pandemic in residential university and college settings. The book provides university faculty, staff, administrators, and students with more information on LGBTQ+ college students, who have been typically neglected or ignored in discussions about the wellness and needs of LGBTQ+ college students. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

Suicide attempt in COVID 19 public health crisis

Introduction: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has shaken the health systems worldwide. Severe depression and anxiety symptoms are expected to be the most prevalent psychopathological presentations connected with global health crisis like the COVID 19 pandemic. Untreated depression and severe anxiety are noticed to be the most prevalent accompanying medical conditions in social, public health crisis which very frequently result in a suicide attempt . This paper aims to present a case report where the "trigger" for a suicide attempt was the current situation during the Covid-19 Pandemic. The suicide attempt was a poisoning with Anti-HIV drugs. Case report. A 28 year old male, student, homosexually oriented, HIV positive, single, with previously diagnosed general anxiety disorder was admitted to the emergency centre because of the self-poisoning for suicidal purposes. After detoxification and initial management at the emergency centre, the patient was admitted to psychiatric clinic where support and cognitive behavioral therapy was administered in combination with antidepressants which eventually led to a satisfactory improvement in his mental state. The suicide attempt followed a difficult period in the patient's personal and emotional life, and socioeconomic problems that are a direct consequence of the Covid 19 pandemic. Several times the patient tried to seek help at the local health centre, but was unable to make an appointment because his family doctor worked in Covid 19 Centre. Conclusion. One of the leading reasons for the increased number of attempted and committed suicides is the unrecognition and lack of treatment of mental disorders symptoms especially in such a public health crisis like Covid 19 pandemic is globally.

Sex in the time of coronavirus: queer men negotiating biosexual citizenship during the COVID-19 pandemic: Journal of Media & Cultural Studies

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, representations of irresponsible gay men partying with little regard for viral transmission have circulated across social media;a construction of gay men that has a history that long precedes the coronavirus conjuncture. In this article, we draw on in-depth qualitative interviews with 43 queer men in London and Edinburgh, to investigate experiences of sexual and intimate practices during COVID-19 and use the concept of ‘biosexual citizenship’ (2018) to analyse the ethical frameworks these men used to navigate them. We argue that rather than being ‘good’ or ‘bad’ biosexual citizens, queer men have developed an array of ethically reflexive strategies in order to negotiate the difficult terrain they have had to face when trying to pursue their cultures of sex and intimacy during the pandemic. In so doing, they appear to enact biosexual citizenship through diverse sexual practices that both inevitably include and challenge both hegemonic imperatives of responsibility and well-being, as well as well-worn media representations of reckless, hedonistic gay men.

Countering Foreign Interference in U.S. Elections

In this report, the last in a four-part series on the topic, we explore how foreign disinformation efforts on social media are successfully exploiting divisions among Americans and whether public service announcements can help mitigate the damage. The California Governors Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES) asked the RAND Corporations National Security Research Division to help analyze, forecast, and mitigate threats by foreign actors targeting local, state, and national elections. This final report addresses two research questions: 1. What do people think and feel about Russian-sourced content during an election year? 2. Could a public service announcement (PSA) affect these views? To answer these questions, we conducted a series of focus groups and interviews with volunteers from a prior experiment who held favorable or unfavorable views of Republicans or Democrats or no strong views of either. We wanted to hear, in their own words, what focus group participants thought and felt about actual Russian memes and about a PSA warning of disinformation efforts by foreign actors. We also conducted one-on-one interviews with 15 other people who consume news from different types of sources. Most participants mistakenly assumed that the source of the content they were shown was fellow Americans, not Russia or its proxies. This result suggests that Americans are vulnerable to foreign disinformation. Although many participants had a positive view of a PSA warning about foreign election interference, the announcement tended to become more relevant to them after we explicitly told them they had just viewed partisan content sourced from Russia, suggesting that PSAs might be effective at preventing foreign disinformation from taking hold.