Participant information
You are being asked to take part in a research study! Before you decide whether or not you wish to participate in this study, it is important for you to understand why the research is being done and what it will involve.
What is this research about?
You are invited to participate in a research study exploring the health and well-being of ‘key populations’ in Mombasa. We need information on your health and well-being to better understand how to deliver health programs and to evaluate if current programs work. By participating in this study, you will provide vital new information to support the health of key populations in Mombasa.
Who is invited to participate?
This research is for ‘key populations’ who are based in Mombasa, Kenya. The National AIDS and STIs Control Programme of Kenya defines key populations as those who may have unique health needs, including sex workers, people who use drugs, transgender and gender non-binary people, and sexual minority groups (e.g., men who have sex with men, women who have sex with women).
Who is conducting this research?
This study is run by the organisation Médecins Sans Frontières, which is sometimes known as Doctors Without Borders (located on Nyati Road off Links Road, in Nyali, Mombasa). It is conducted in partnership with the Mombasa County Department of Health.
The principal investigators are Drs Denton Callander and Patricia Owira. Other investigators of this study include Celina Kithinji and Ahmed Adam (Mombasa County Department of Health), Dr Makobu Kimani (Kenya Medican Research Institutes), and Drs Iza Ciglenecki and Kelly Khabala (Médecins Sans Frontières).
What will participation involve?
Participation in this project is entirely voluntary. If you do not want to take part, you do not have to.
If you decide to take part, you will be asked to complete a confidential online survey, which should take between 5-15 minutes. The survey will ask you questions about your health and well-being, sexual and romantic relationships, drug and alcohol use, and your attitudes, beliefs, and knowledge. It may also ask you some potentially sensitive questions, including about experiences of violence, termination of pregnancy. You may choose to skip these question if you wish.
No information you provide can be linked to you personally and participant responses will be treated with the utmost confidentiality.
Are there any risks associated with this study?
In general, there are few risks involved with taking part in this study. It is possible that you may feel uncomfortable recalling some previous experiences, especially if those experiences were negative. Please know that you are able to discontinue participation at any time or skip questions that you would prefer not to answer.
If at any point during the survey you feel the need to speak with someone, you can click the ‘Feeling upset?’ button located at the top of your screen. Clicking this button will provide you with some options to speak with a professional counsellor.
How will I benefit from this study?
What if I want to withdraw from the research study?
As mentioned, participation in this study is completely voluntary. You may choose to withdraw at any time simply by closing the questionnaire, which will not affect your relationship with Médecins Sans Frontières or any of the other study partners.
If you withdraw from the research we will destroy any information that has already been collected. Once you have submitted the questionnaire however, we will not be able to withdraw your responses as the questionnaire is anonymous.
What happens to information about me?
Completing the survey is an indication that you consent to take part in this study. Only key members of the research team authorised by the principal investigators will have access to the data you provide, which we will never share with anyone else.
We will use the information you provide to undertake a number of analyses relevant to the health and well-being of key populations. The results will be shared on social media and via academic publications, presentations, and reports. In any of these, information will be presented in such a way that it will not be possible to identify you or any other participants individually.
How can I learn about the study’s findings?
Study findings will be shared in an anonymous form via social media. They will also be available on this website. If you want, at the end of the survey you can nominate to receive a notification when the results are ready.
What should I do if I want to discuss this study further?
Want to learn more? Check out this video, which describes the project in more detail. You can also contact the research team directly to ask any questions you might have. Just hit us up on WhatsApp (+254 113 280 528) or via email (info@mombasakeypopstudy.com).
Who should I contact if I have concerns about this study?
This study has been approved by the Scientific Ethics Review Unit of the Kenya Medical Research Institute. If you have any concerns or complaints about this study, you should contact the Human Research Ethics Coordinator at +254 717 719 477 or seru@kemri.org and quote reference number 4694.
Thank you for taking the time to consider this study!