Increasing Belief in the Effectiveness of HIV Treatment as Prevention: Results of Repeated, National Surveys of Australian Gay and Bisexual Men, 2013–15

2016 ◽  
Vol 20 (7) ◽  
pp. 1564-1571 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martin Holt ◽  
Toby Lea ◽  
Heather-Marie Schmidt ◽  
Dean Murphy ◽  
Marsha Rosengarten ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gay And Bisexual Men ◽  
Hiv Treatment ◽  
Treatment As Prevention ◽  
Bisexual Men ◽  
National Surveys ◽  
And Bisexual ◽  
Hiv Treatment As Prevention

scholarly journals Australian Gay and Bisexual Men’s Attitudes to HIV Treatment as Prevention in Repeated, National Surveys, 2011-2013

PLoS ONE ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 9 (11) ◽  
pp. e112349 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martin Holt ◽  
Toby Lea ◽  
Dean A. Murphy ◽  
Jeanne Ellard ◽  
Marsha Rosengarten ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Hiv Treatment ◽  
Treatment As Prevention ◽  
National Surveys ◽  
And Bisexual ◽  
Hiv Treatment As Prevention

Trends in Belief That HIV Treatment Prevents Transmission Among Gay and Bisexual Men in Australia: Results of National Online Surveys 2013–2019

2021 ◽  
Vol 33 (1) ◽  
pp. 62-72
Author(s):  
Martin Holt ◽  
James MacGibbon ◽  
Brandon Bear ◽  
Toby Lea ◽  
Johann Kolstee ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gay And Bisexual Men ◽  
Hiv Treatment ◽  
University Education ◽  
Hiv Positive ◽  
Treatment As Prevention ◽  
Post Exposure Prophylaxis ◽  
Bisexual Men ◽  
Transmitted Infection ◽  
And Bisexual ◽  
Exposure Prophylaxis

We have tracked belief in the effectiveness of HIV treatment as prevention (TasP) among Australian gay and bisexual men (GBM) since 2013. National, online cross-sectional surveys of GBM were conducted every 2 years during 2013–2019. Trends and associations were analyzed using multivariate logistic regression. Data from 4,903 survey responses were included. Belief that HIV treatment prevents transmission increased from 2.6% in 2013 to 34.6% in 2019. Belief in the effectiveness of TasP was consistently higher among HIV-positive participants than other participants. In 2019, higher levels of belief in TasP were independently associated with university education, being HIV-positive, using pre-exposure prophylaxis, knowing more HIV-positive people, being recently diagnosed with a sexually transmitted infection (STI) and use of post-exposure prophylaxis. Belief that HIV treatment prevents transmission has increased substantially among Australian GBM, but remains concentrated among HIV-positive GBM, those who know HIV-positive people, and GBM who use antiretroviral-based prevention.

scholarly journals Seroadaptive Strategies of Vancouver Gay and Bisexual Men in a Treatment as Prevention Environment

2017 ◽  
Vol 65 (4) ◽  
pp. 524-539 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eric Abella Roth ◽  
Zishan Cui ◽  
Ashleigh Rich ◽  
Nathan Lachowsky ◽  
Paul Sereda ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gay And Bisexual Men ◽  
Treatment As Prevention ◽  
Bisexual Men ◽  
And Bisexual

Changes in HIV treatment beliefs and sexual risk behaviors among gay and bisexual men, 1997-2005.

2007 ◽  
Vol 26 (5) ◽  
pp. 650-656 ◽  
Author(s):  
Seth C. Kalichman ◽  
Lisa Eaton ◽  
Demetria Cain ◽  
Charsey Cherry ◽  
Andrea Fuhrel ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Risk ◽  
Risk Behaviors ◽  
Sexual Risk Behaviors ◽  
Gay And Bisexual Men ◽  
Hiv Treatment ◽  
Bisexual Men ◽  
Treatment Beliefs ◽  
And Bisexual

Measuring and understanding the attitudes of Australian gay and bisexual men towards biomedical HIV prevention using cross-sectional data and factor analyses

2017 ◽  
Vol 94 (4) ◽  
pp. 309-314 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna L Wilkinson ◽  
Bridget L Draper ◽  
Alisa E Pedrana ◽  
Jason Asselin ◽  
Martin Holt ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Hiv Prevention ◽  
Community Support ◽  
Gay And Bisexual Men ◽  
Transmission Risk ◽  
Treatment As Prevention ◽  
Bisexual Men ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Biomedical Hiv Prevention ◽  
Biomedical Prevention ◽  
And Bisexual

IntroductionContemporary responses to HIV embrace biomedical prevention, particularly treatment as prevention (TasP) and pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP). However, large-scale implementation of biomedical prevention should be ideally preceded by assessments of their community acceptability. We aimed to understand contemporary attitudes of gay and bisexual men (GBM) in Australia towards biomedical-based HIV prevention and propose a framework for their measurement and ongoing monitoring.MethodsA cross-sectional, online survey of GBM ≥18 years has been conducted annually in Victoria, Australia, since 2008. In 2016, 35 attitudinal items on biomedical HIV prevention were added. Items were scored on five-point Likert scales. We used principal factor analysis to identify key constructs related to GBM’s attitudes to biomedical HIV prevention and use these to characterise levels of support for TasP and PrEP.ResultsA total of 462 HIV-negative or HIV-status-unknown men, not using PrEP, provided valid responses for all 35 attitudinal items. We extracted four distinct and interpretable factors we named: ‘Confidence in PrEP’, ‘Judicious approach to PrEP’, ‘Treatment as prevention optimism’ and ‘Support for early treatment’. High levels of agreement were seen across PrEP-related items; 77.9% of men agreed that PrEP prevented HIV acquisition and 83.6% of men agreed that users were protecting themselves. However, the agreement levels for HIV TasP items were considerably lower, with <20% of men agreeing treatment (undetectable viral load) reduced HIV transmission risk.ConclusionsBetter understanding of community attitudes is crucial for shaping policy and informing initiatives that aim to improve knowledge, acceptance and uptake of biomedical prevention. Our analyses suggest confidence in, acceptability of and community support for PrEP among GBM. However, strategies to address scepticism towards HIV treatment when used for prevention may be needed to optimise combination biomedical HIV prevention.

scholarly journals Adapting behavioural surveillance to antiretroviral-based HIV prevention: reviewing and anticipating trends in the Australian Gay Community Periodic Surveys

Sexual Health ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 72 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martin Holt ◽  
Toby Lea ◽  
Limin Mao ◽  
Iryna Zablotska ◽  
Evelyn Lee ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Condom Use ◽  
Hiv Testing ◽  
Antiretroviral Drugs ◽  
Hiv Treatment ◽  
Treatment As Prevention ◽  
Bisexual Men ◽  
Condomless Sex ◽  
Gay Community ◽  
Behavioural Surveillance ◽  
And Bisexual

Background In Australia, the preventative use of antiretroviral drugs [pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and treatment as prevention] is being embraced to protect individuals at high risk of HIV and reduce onward transmission. Methods: The adaptation of a behavioural surveillance system, the Gay Community Periodic Surveys, was reviewed to monitor the uptake and effect of new prevention strategies in Australia’s primary HIV-affected population (gay and bisexual men, GBM). The national trends in key indicators during 2000–15 were reviewed and a new measure to take account of antiretroviral-based prevention was developed. Results: Between 2000 and 2015, there were significant increases (P < 0.001) in annual HIV testing (56.1–64.8%), condomless sex with casual partners (26.8—38.8%) and the proportion of HIV-positive men on HIV treatment (72.5–88.4%) and with an undetectable viral load (73.7–94.7%). The proportion of casual partners who were HIV negative, not on PrEP and who engaged in receptive condomless sex also increased between 2000 and 2015 from 12.8 to 19.3%. Two scenarios anticipating the effect of PrEP highlighted the need to target GBM who engage in receptive condomless sex while also sustaining condom use at a population level. Conclusions: Behavioural surveillance can be successfully adapted to follow the effect of antiretroviral-based prevention. It is anticipated that HIV testing and HIV treatment will continue to increase among Australian GBM, but to prevent new infections, intervention in the growing proportion of GBM who have condomless sex with casual partners is needed. For PrEP to have its desired effect, condom use needs to be sustained.

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