Doctoral research conducted on sexual health of LGBT population in Sri Lanka
View(s):University of Kelaniya senior lecturer Dr Manoj Jinadasa has undertaken doctoral research on sexual health mainly of the LGBT population in Sri Lanka from 2017 to 2024 of a sample size of 400.
He conducted research in the districts of Colombo, Gampaha, Kandy, Kurunegala and Matara. Subjects were selected based on convenient samples in the age group of 18-24.
“The young groups of people face some harassment due to socially unacceptable sexual orientation. These people are socially and culturally marginalised because of the LGBT orientation.”
The research mainly concentrated on young men aged 18-24, but some were also transgender and married men.
In terms of marriages, it was also mentioned that some men and women were socially required to marry while they were bi, gay or transgender. These individuals go outside of their families to satisfy their sexual preferences. The married couple are, as a result, in danger of STDs.
Dr Jinadasa also noted that young boys and girls who take part in same sex relations are sexually and psychologically abused by the married individual. The married men take advantage of the young men who want a relationship.
The research was based on Newcastle doctoral research that when launched tried to find out why these young people used social media like Facebook to announce their problems, desires, needs and relationships.
The lecturer also highlighted that there was a lack of knowledge in sexual health. Consequently, people are both physically and psychologically suffering from diseases such as depression and STDs, and suicide prone.
The research involved three modes of data collection. These involved an in-depth interview, FB ethnography that created a Facebook profile giving the research intention, objective and identity and a qualitative survey that gave the overview or the nature of the problem but not an in-depth probe.
Dr Jinadasa said people wanted to reveal their stories and physically meet for an in-depth interview.
He added that people who identify as LGBT are generally marginalised because there is a lack of sexual health courses on LGBT Science and because the penal codes in Sri Lanka are outdated and still have the colonial mentality.
Yet while the education and legal system were outdated, most young people in the cities were updated regarding their sexual rights through social media and internet.
The research was conducted in urban coffee houses and urban leisure places, following strict ethical guidelines.
- (PW)
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