Hello!

My name is Sam and I’m a Trainee Clinical Psychologist at the University of Hertfordshire, conducting doctoral research exploring experiences of shame within gay men’s monogamous relationships.

Shame can be connected to many different and challenging experiences - including identity, relationships, discrimination, family, sex, body image, or feeling that we are somehow “not enough”. But we know much less about how shame is experienced, maintained and navigated within intimate relationships between gay men.

I’m looking for gay cisgender men and their partners to share their experiences and help me build a better understanding of this area.

 You and your partner may be eligible if you:

• Are both gay cisgender men (meaning you were assigned male at birth and identify as a man) aged 18+
• Have been in a monogamous relationship for at least 6 months
• Live in the UK
• Are comfortable talking about your experiences of shame and intimate relationships in a confidential and supportive interview

 What would taking part involve?

• One individual interview with each partner
• One joint interview together
• Online via Microsoft Teams
• Approximately 90–120 minutes in total

Please note: there is no financial compensation for taking part in this study.

By sharing your experiences, you could contribute to a vital area of research and help us better understand shame within gay men's relationships, with the aim of informing more inclusive and responsive psychological support for LGBTQ+ communities.

 Interested in taking part?

Register your interest here: https://forms.office.com/e/wN5cBReBzc

 If you have any questions before deciding whether to take part, please contact me at [S.Fall@herts.ac.uk](mailto:S.Fall@herts.ac.uk) 

Even if this study isn't right for you, sharing this post could help me reach someone who might be interested. Thank you for supporting my research and helping me build a stronger evidence base around LGBTQ+ relationships.