For Participants

What is the SMILE study?

The SMILE study is a research study to learn about the experiences of people who identify as sexual and/or gender minority (SGM).  It is happening in three countries: Brazil, Kenya, and Vietnam.  “Sexual or gender minority” can mean any of these three things: 1) people attracted to the same gender/sex, or 2) people who feel they are not the sex/gender they were given at birth, or 3) people who do not feel they are male or female.  The goal of the study is to understand more about the lives of SGM people and any challenges that they face.

Most of the study information is collected in an online survey that covers a number of topics.  This survey asks participants questions about health and emotional wellbeing, romantic and sexual attractions, and gender identity.  It also asks about employment and housing, experiences with discrimination and trauma, and the effects of SGM-specific policies. 

 Participating in the study mainly means completing this 60 to 90 minute-long online survey.  You will not benefit directly from doing this research study.  Some people will be asked to help find others to take the survey, and will receive small payments in return for that.

 Keeping your information private is very important to us.  To help protect your privacy, we will never ask for your name.  In order to contact you for follow-up surveys we will need to ask for a phone number and email address.  This information will be stored separately from any survey answers. The answers provided in the survey will only be used for research purposes, and in ways that will not show anyone who the participant is.  Contact information will be kept private and will not be shared with anyone outside of the project.  No one’s contact information will be directly connected to any answers from the survey. 

If you are interested in joining the SMILE study, please click here to get started!