Gay and Bisexual Men’s Perceptions of the Donation and Use of Human Biological Samples for Research: A Qualitative Study

Human biological samples (biosamples) are increasingly important in diagnosing, treating and measuring the prevalence of illnesses. For the gay and bisexual population, biosample research is particularly important for measuring the prevalence of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). By determining people’s understandings of, and attitudes towards, the donation and use of biosamples, researchers can design studies to maximise acceptability and participation. In this study we examine gay and bisexual men’s attitudes towards donating biosamples for HIV research. Semi-structured telephone interviews were conducted with 46 gay and bisexual men aged between 18 and 63 recruited in commercial gay scene venues in two Scottish cities. Interview transcripts were analysed thematically using the framework approach. Most men interviewed seemed to have given little prior consideration to the issues. Participants were largely supportive of donating tissue for medical research purposes, and often favourable towards samples being stored, reused and shared. Support was often conditional, with common concerns related to: informed consent; the protection of anonymity and confidentiality; the right to withdraw from research; and ownership of samples. Many participants were in favour of the storage and reuse of samples, but expressed concerns related to data security and potential misuse of samples, particularly by commercial organisations. The sensitivity of tissue collection varied between tissue types and collection contexts. Blood, urine, semen and bowel tissue were commonly identified as sensitive, and donating saliva and as unlikely to cause discomfort. To our knowledge, this is the first in-depth study of gay and bisexual men’s attitudes towards donating biosamples for HIV research. While most men in this study were supportive of donating tissue for research, some clear areas of concern were identified. We suggest that these minority concerns should be accounted for to develop inclusive, evidence-informed research protocols that balance collective benefits with individual concerns.

人类生物样本（biosamples）在疾病诊断、治疗及流行率测算领域的重要性与日俱增。对于男同性恋与双性恋群体而言，生物样本研究在测算人类免疫缺陷病毒（HIV）流行率方面尤为关键。通过了解民众对生物样本捐赠与使用的认知与态度，研究人员可优化研究设计，以提升研究的可接受度与参与率。本研究聚焦男同性恋与双性恋男性参与HIV相关生物样本捐赠的态度。研究人员在苏格兰两座城市的商业同志社交场所招募了46名年龄介于18至63岁的男同性恋与双性恋男性，并对其开展半结构化电话访谈。研究采用框架分析法对访谈转录文本进行主题分析。多数受访男性此前似乎未对相关议题投入过多关注。绝大多数参与者支持为医学研究捐赠生物组织，且普遍认可生物样本的储存、复用与共享行为。此类支持往往附带条件，参与者普遍关注的议题包括：知情同意权、匿名与保密保护、退出研究的权利以及生物样本的所有权归属。尽管多数参与者支持生物样本的储存与复用，但也表达了对数据安全及样本潜在滥用（尤其是商业机构滥用）的担忧。生物样本采集的敏感程度因样本类型与采集场景而异：血液、尿液、精液与肠道组织普遍被认为具有较高敏感性，而唾液捐赠则通常不会引发不适。据我们所知，本研究是首个针对男同性恋与双性恋男性参与HIV相关生物样本捐赠态度的深度研究。尽管本研究中多数男性支持为研究捐赠生物组织，但仍存在若干明确的关注点。我们建议应充分考量这些少数群体的顾虑，以制定兼具包容性与循证依据的研究方案，在集体研究收益与个体权益关切之间达成平衡。