jiroe-b9kh72kOcdM-unsplash.jpg

Addressing Health Inequities

Vulnerable & Key Populations

My earlier work focused mainly on the risks of acquiring HIV and other sexually transmitted infections among gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men (GBMSM) as well as female sex workers and their clients in Singapore.

More recent projects focus on the mental health of vulnerable populations, including the sociocultural and upstream factors impacting substance use among treatment-experienced individuals. I have also begun work employing community-based participatory research methods among key populations, and will focus on the sexual and mental health of youth and adolescents in the coming years.

Ongoing/Upcoming Projects:

  • LGBTQ+ healthcare in Singapore: Perspectives of non-governmental organizations and clinical year medical students (Principal Investigator)

  • Factors associated with late presentation for HIV among heterosexual men and GBMSM in Singapore (Co-Investigator)

  • The Pink Carpet Y Cohort Study for young GBMSM (Principal Investigator)

  • Sexual health of youth in Singapore, and exploring the social determinants of sexual health among youth who identify as minority race individuals (Principal Investigator)

  • Community-based participatory research among female sex workers in Singapore and shifts in the organizations of sex markets (Co-Investigator)

  • Impact of COVID-19 on the sex work industry in Singapore (Principal Investigator)

  • Evaluation of a comprehensive sexuality education workshop on youth sexual health knowledge, sexual communication and sexual negotiation self-efficacy (Principal Investigator)

  • Alcohol, substance use and negative affective states among GBMSM (Co-Investigator with the ICARUS study/team)

  • Chasing utopias book project: Sexualized substance use among GBMSM in Singapore (Principal Investigator)

Photo by Jiroe on Unsplash

Publications in Peer Reviewed Journals

Gay, Bisexual and other Men who have Sex with Men

  1. Tan R. K. J.*, Yang D., Le D., Tan A., Tyler A., Tan C., Kwok C., Banerjee S., Wong C. S., Wong M. L. (2021). Overlapping minority statuses and mental health outcomes among young gay, bisexual and queer men. Journal of LGBT Youth. https://doi.org/10.1080/19361653.2021.1940414

  2. Tan R. K. J.*, Phua K., Tan A., Gan D. C. G., Ho L. P., Ong E. J., See M. T. (2021). Exploring the role of trauma in underpinning sexualised drug use (‘chemsex’) among gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men in Singapore. International Journal of Drug Policy. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.drugpo.2021.103333

  3. Tan R. K. J.*, Low, T. Q. Y., Le D., Tan A., Tyler A., Tan C., Kwok C., Banerjee S., Cook A. R., Wong M. L. (In press). Experienced Homophobia and Suicide Among Young Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer Men in Singapore: Exploring the Mediating Role of Depression Severity, Self-Esteem, and Outness in the Pink Carpet Y Cohort Study. LGBT Health. https://doi.org/10.1089/lgbt.2020.0323

  4. Tan R. K. J.*, O’Hara C. A., Koh W. L., Le D., Tan A., Tyler A., Tan C., Kwok C., Banerjee S., Wong M. L. (2021). Delineating patterns of sexualized substance use and its association with sexual and mental health outcomes among young gay, bisexual and queer men in Singapore: A latent class analysis. BMC Public Health. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-021-11056-5

  5. Ong C., Tan R. K. J.*, Le D., Tan A., Tyler A., Tan C., Kwok C., Banerjee S., Wong M. L. (2021). Association between sexual orientation acceptance and suicidal ideation, substance use, and internalised homophobia amongst the Pink Carpet Y Cohort Study of young gay, bisexual, and queer men in Singapore. BMC Public Health. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-021-10992-6

  6. Tan R. K. J.*, Wang Y., Prem K., Teo A. K. J., Kaur N., Harrison-Quintana J., Cook A., Chen M. I., Wong C. S. (2021). PrEP or condoms, or both? Insights on risk compensation through a discrete choice experiment on PrEP preferences among gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men. Value in Health. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jval.2020.11.023

  7. Tan R. K. J.*, O’Hara C. A., Koh W. L., Le D., Tan A., Tyler A., Tan C., Kwok C., Banerjee S., Wong C. S., Wong M. L., Chen M. I. (2021). Social capital and chemsex initiation among young gay, bisexual and queer men: The Pink Carpet Y cohort study. Substance Abuse Treatment, Prevention and Policy. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13011-021-00353-2

  8. Tan R. K. J.*, Chan Y. Y., Ibrahim M. A., Ho L. P., Lim O., Choong B., Chio M. T., Chen M. I., Wong C. S. (2020). Potential interactions between the pathways to diagnosis of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections (STI) and HIV self-testing: Insights from a qualitative study of gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men. Sexually Transmitted Infections. https://doi.org/10.1136/sextrans-2020-054623

  9. Tan R. K. J., Koh W. L., Le D., Tan A., Tyler A., Tan C., Banerjee S., Wong C. S., Wong M. L., Chio M. T., Chen M. I. (2020). Effect of a web drama video series on HIV and other sexually transmitted infection testing among gay, bisexual and queer men: study protocol for a community-based, pragmatic, randomized controlled trial in Singapore – the People Like Us (PLU) evaluation study. BMJ Open. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2019-033855

  10. Lim M. J., Tan R. K. J., Chan J. K. W. (2020). “Do I need to or do I want to?” A typology of HIV status disclosure among gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men. AIDS Care: AIDS Impact 2019 Special Issue. https://doi.org/10.1080/09540121.2020.1742865.

  11. Tan R. K. J.*, Kaur N., Chen M. I., Wong C. S. (2020). Individual, interpersonal, and situational factors influencing HIV and other STI risk perception among gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men: a qualitative study. AIDS Care. https://doi.org/10.1080/09540121.2020.1734176.

  12. Tan R. K. J.*, Lim M. J., Chan J. K. W. (2020). “Not a walking piece of meat with disease”: meanings of becoming undetectable among HIV-positive gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men in the U=U era. AIDS Care. https://doi.org/10.1080/09540121.2019.1668534.

  13. Tan R. K. J., Kaur N., Chen M. I.*, Wong C. S. (2019). Developing a typology of HIV/STI testing patterns among gay, bisexual, and queer men: a framework to guide interventions. Qualitative Health Research. https://doi.org/10.1177/1049732319870174        

  14. Tan R. K. J.*, Kaur N., P. A. Kumar, Tay E., Leong A., Wong C. S. (2019). Clinics as spaces of costly disclosure: HIV/STI testing and anticipated stigma among gay, bisexual and queer men. Culture, Health and Sexuality. https://doi.org/10.1080/13691058.2019.1596313

  15. Tan R. K. J.*, Teo A. K. J., Kaur N., Harrison-Quintana J., Wong C. S., Chen M. I. (2019). Extent and selectivity of sexual orientation disclosure and its association with HIV and other STI testing patterns among gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men. Sexually Transmitted Infections. http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/sextrans-2018-053866

  16. Wong C. S.*, Kumar P. A., Wong C. M., Choong B. C. H., Lim O., Chan Y. Y., Ibrahim M. A., Chio M. T., Tan R. K. J., Chen M. I. (2019). Acceptability of HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and opinions on PrEP service delivery among men who have sex with men in Singapore: a qualitative study. AIDS Education and Prevention. https://doi.org/10.1521/aeap.2019.31.2.152

  17. Tan R. K. J., Wong C. M., Chen M. I.*, Chan Y. Y., Ibrahim M. A., Lim O. Z., Chio M. T., Wong C. S., Chan R. K. W., Chua L. J., Choong B. C. H. (2018). Chemsex among gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men in Singapore and the challenges ahead: a qualitative study. International Journal of Drug Policy. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.drugpo.2018.10.002

  18. Tan R. K. J.*, Teo A. K. J., Kaur N., Harrison-Quintana J., Chen M. I., Wong C. S. (2018). Cost and anonymity as factors for the effective implementation of pre-exposure prophylaxis: an observational study among gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men in Singapore. Sexual Health. https://doi.org/10.1071/SH18059

  19. Tan R. K. J.* (2018): Internalized homophobia, HIV knowledge, and HIV/AIDS personal responsibility beliefs: correlates of HIV/AIDS discrimination among MSM in the context of institutionalized stigma, Journal of Homosexuality. https://doi.org/10.1080/00918369.2018.1491249

  20. Chua L. J.*, Su D., Tan R. K. J., & Koh W. (2017). Decriminalization of same-sex relations and social attitudes in Singapore: An empirical study. Hong Kong Law Journal, 47(3), 793-842.

*Corresponding Author    

Sex Workers & Clients of Female Sex Workers

  1. Tan R. K. J.*, Ho V., Sherqueshaa S., Dee W., Lim M. J., Lo J. J., Teo A. K. J., O’Hara C. A., Ong C., Ching A. H., West B. S., Wong M. L. (In press). COVID-19 and the shifting organization of sex work markets. Culture, Health and Sexuality.

  2. Tan R. K. J.*, Ho V., Sherqueshaa S., Dee W., Lim M. J., Lo J. J., Teo A. K. J., O’Hara C. A., Ong C., Ching A. H., Wong M. L. (In press). The Impact of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) on the Health and Social Needs of Sex Workers in Singapore. Archives of Sexual Behavior. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10508-021-01951-8

  3. Tan Y.*, Kaur N., Ye A. J., Zhang Y., Zheng J. L. X., Tan R. K. J., Ho L. P., Chen M. I., Wong M. L., Wong C. S., Yap P. (2021). Perceptions of a HIV self-testing intervention and its potential role in addressing the barriers to HIV testing amongst at-risk heterosexual men: a qualitative analysis from Singapore. Sexually Transmitted Infections. https://doi.org/10.1136/sextrans-2020-054773

  4. Tan R. K. J.*, Lim M. J., Lo J. J., Teo A. K. J., O’Hara C. A., Ching A. H., Ho V., Wong M. L. (2020). Conducting policy-relevant research to support sex workers’ health and social needs in Singapore in the face of COVID-19: Capitalizing on strong stakeholder networks from the local HIV response to drive policymaking. Sexually Transmitted Infections. http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/sextrans-2020-054616

  5. Takashima K., Yeoh G. W. J., Chua H. E., Ting P. L. M., Chong J. Y., Tan R. K. J.*, Kaur N., Teo A. K. J., Mohdar L. H., Banerjee S., Chan R. K. W., Wong C. S., Chen M. I. (2019). Socio-ecological differences in factors associated with inconsistent condom use with female sex workers and casual partners: an observational study of heterosexual men attending an anonymous HIV testing clinic in Singapore. Sexual Health. https://doi.org/10.1071/SH18230

  6. Wong M. L.*, Teo A. K. J., Ng A. M. T., Lim R. B. T., Tai B. C., Tham D., Kaur N., Tan R. K. J., Sarath K., Lubek I. (2018). Trends in unprotected intercourse among heterosexual men before and after ban of brothel-based sex work in Siem Reap, Cambodia from 2003 to 2012: a serial cross-sectional study. BMC Public Health. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-018-5321-0

*Corresponding Author