scholarly journals Contrasting the Perceived Severity of COVID-19 and HIV Infection in an Online Survey of Gay, Bisexual, and Other Men Who Have Sex With Men During the U.S. COVID-19 Epidemic

2020 ◽  
Vol 14 (5) ◽  
pp. 155798832095754
Author(s):  
Rob Stephenson ◽  
Tanaka M. D. Chavanduka ◽  
Matthew T. Rosso ◽  
Stephen P. Sullivan ◽  
Renée A. Pitter ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Hiv Infection ◽  
Risk Perceptions ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
The United States ◽  
Poor Mental Health ◽  
Protective Behaviors ◽  
Perceived Severity ◽  
Banner Advertisements ◽  
Public Health Messages ◽  
Sex With Men

While there is evidence of variations in the risk perceptions of COVID-19 and that they are linked to both engagement in health-protective behaviors and poor mental health outcomes, there has been a lack of attention to how individuals perceive the risk of COVID-19 relative to other infectious diseases. This paper examines the relative perceptions of the severity of COVID-19 and HIV among a sample of U.S. gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (GBMSMs). The “Love and Sex in the Time of COVID-19” survey was conducted online from April 2020 to May 2020. GBMSMs were recruited through paid banner advertisements featured on social networking platforms, resulting in a sample size of 696. The analysis considers differences in responses to two scales: the Perceived Severity of HIV Infection and the Perceived Severity of COVID-19 Infection. Participants perceived greater seriousness for HIV infection (mean 46.67, range 17–65) than for COVID-19 infection (mean 38.81, range 13–62). Some items reflecting more proximal impacts of infection (anxiety, loss of sleep, and impact on employment) were similar for HIV and COVID-19. Those aged over 25 and those who perceived higher prevalence of COVID-19 in the United States or their state were more likely to report COVID-19 as more severe than HIV. There is a need to develop nuanced public health messages for GBMSMs that convey the ongoing simultaneous health threats of both HIV and COVID-19.

The role of sexual risk behaviors on PrEP awareness and interest among men who have sex with men in Latin America

2019 ◽  
Vol 30 (6) ◽  
pp. 542-549 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alberto Edeza ◽  
Omar Galarraga ◽  
David Novak ◽  
Kenneth Mayer ◽  
Joshua Rosenberger ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Latin America ◽  
Latin American ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
The United States ◽  
Sexual Compulsivity ◽  
Transactional Sex ◽  
Behavioral Risk ◽  
Hazardous Alcohol Use ◽  
Sex With Men ◽  
Prep Awareness

In Latin America, men who have sex with men (MSM) remain disproportionately impacted by HIV. Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is an effective HIV prevention tool and has been FDA approved in the United States since 2012, but no Latin American state, with the recent exception of Brazil, has implemented PrEP guidelines. We carried out a multinational online survey of MSM in Latin America (n = 22698) in 2012 to assess whether MSM at highest risk of HIV acquisition (i.e., those engaging in condomless anal sex [CAS; n = 2606] and transactional sex [n = 1488]) had higher levels of awareness of PrEP, PrEP use and interest in participating in a PrEP trial. After adjusting for demographic and psychosocial characteristics including depressive symptoms, hazardous alcohol use, childhood sexual abuse, and sexual compulsivity, transactional sex and CAS were associated with increased PrEP awareness (aOR = 1.29, 95% CI: 1.05–1.59, p < .001 and aOR = 1.22, 95% CI: 1.11–1.34, p < .001, respectively) and PrEP trial interest (aOR = 1.45, 95% CI: 1.25–1.71, p < .001 and aOR = 1.74, 95% CI: 1.57–1.95, p < .001, respectively). Findings demonstrate substantial awareness of and interest in PrEP among MSM with behavioral risk factors for HIV in Latin America, suggesting that this region is primed for PrEP implementation, which has been slow.

scholarly journals Epidemiology of Human Immunodeficiency Virus in the United States

2007 ◽  
Vol 20 (3) ◽  
pp. 478-488 ◽  
Author(s):  
Susan Hariri ◽  
Matthew T. McKenna
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Human Immunodeficiency Virus ◽  
Hiv Infection ◽  
Hiv Transmission ◽  
The United States ◽  
Population Based ◽  
True Incidence ◽  
Immunodeficiency Virus ◽  
Sex With Men ◽  
Fundamental Shift

SUMMARY The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) epidemic emerged in the early 1980s with HIV infection as a highly lethal disease among men who have sex with men and among frequent recipients of blood product transfusions. Advances in the treatment of HIV infection have resulted in a fundamental shift in its epidemiology, to a potentially chronic and manageable condition. However, challenges in the prevention of this infection remain. In particular, increasing evidence suggests that transmission of drug-resistant virus is becoming more common and that the epidemic is having a profound impact on morbidity and mortality in ethnic and racial minority subgroups in the United States. New population-based data collection systems designed to describe trends in behaviors associated with HIV transmission and better methods for measuring the true incidence of transmission will better elucidate the characteristics of HIV infection in the United States and inform future public health policies.

scholarly journals Quality of HIV Websites With Information About Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis or Treatment as Prevention for Men Who Have Sex With Men: Systematic Evaluation (Preprint)

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Taylor Silverman ◽  
Nicole Asante ◽  
Jacob J van den Berg
Keyword(s):  
Hiv Prevention ◽  
Hiv Infection ◽  
Rating Scale ◽  
The United States ◽  
Treatment As Prevention ◽  
Key Words And Phrases ◽  
Prevention Strategies ◽  
Hiv Prevention Strategies ◽  
Sex With Men ◽  
Exposure Prophylaxis

BACKGROUND Knowledge and uptake of high-efficacy HIV prevention strategies such as pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and treatment as prevention (TasP) remain low among men who have sex with men (MSM) who are at the highest risk for HIV infection in the United States. Electronic health (eHealth) interventions are promising tools for disseminating information about these critical yet underutilized strategies and addressing key barriers to uptake among target populations. However, existing HIV prevention websites are understudied and unevaluated. OBJECTIVE This study aimed to systematically review and evaluate existing HIV websites that include information about PrEP or TasP for MSM. METHODS From March 2018 to May 2018, 2 trained research assistants (RAs) entered relevant key words and phrases into 3 commonly used search engines and applied exclusion criteria to all returned results to identify 31 websites included in this review. RAs independently scored each website for authority, usability, interactivity, and PrEP/TasP-related content based on a standardized rating scale and then averaged the results. RESULTS No website received a perfect score in any of the 4 categories, and the average website score was 62% (37/60). Less than a quarter of the websites (23%, 7/31) received a score of more than 75% (7.5/10) for content. Approximately two-thirds of the websites (65%, 20/31) received a score of 50% (5/10) or lower for interactivity. The average score in usability was 68% (6.8/10) and in authority was 69% (6.9/10). Other deficiencies observed included difficulty locating relevant content and lack of information targeting audiences with the highest likelihood of HIV infection. CONCLUSIONS Existing HIV prevention websites with information about PrEP or TasP for MSM fail to provide adequate content as well as present that content to users in an interactive and audience-conscious way. Future eHealth interventions should attempt to rectify these deficiencies to successfully engage and educate MSM at high risk for HIV regarding prevention strategies.

scholarly journals Perceptions and behaviors in response to the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) : reports on major survey findings

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hua Qin ◽  
Yanu Prasetyo ◽  
Christine Sanders ◽  
Elizabeth Prentice ◽  
Muh. Syukron
Keyword(s):  
Online Survey ◽  
The United States ◽  
The Novel ◽  
Sources Of Information ◽  
Perceived Severity ◽  
Preventive Actions ◽  
Email Address ◽  
And Behaviors ◽  
Initial Survey ◽  
Novel Coronavirus

The United States has been affected by an extensive novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak since March 2020. On March 9, 2020 we started an online survey of people’s perceptions and behaviors related to this issue in Missouri and adjacent states (Kansas, Iowa, Illinois, and Arkansas). The survey was ended on June 9, 2020 and in total 7,392 surveys were completed. In order to assess how attitudes and behaviors related to COVID-19 may change over time, two follow-up surveys were conducted with those respondents who indicated interest in the re-surveys and provided an email address. These two working reports summarize major results of the initial survey and three survey waves, including respondents’ perceived severity of the COVID-19 outbreak, sources of information, knowledge about COVID-19, perceptions of COVID-19 risk, satisfaction with management entities, and preventive actions.

scholarly journals Knowledge and Awareness of Acute Human Immunodeficiency Virus Infection Among Mobile App-Using Men Who Have Sex With Men: A Missed Public Health Opportunity

2015 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Aaron J. Siegler ◽  
Travis Sanchez ◽  
R. Craig Sineath ◽  
Jeremy Grey ◽  
Erin Kahle ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Human Immunodeficiency Virus ◽  
Hiv Infection ◽  
Hiv Testing ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Mobile App ◽  
Acute Hiv Infection ◽  
Immunodeficiency Virus ◽  
Acute Hiv ◽  
Sex With Men

Abstract In a national online survey, we assessed awareness and knowledge of acute human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection manifestation among 1748 men who have sex with men (MSM). Only 39% of respondents were aware that acute HIV infection may be accompanied by symptoms. Education and increased access to acute HIV testing may facilitate MSM to appropriately seek acute HIV testing.

scholarly journals Medication Adherence Among Men Who Have Sex with Men at Risk for HIV Infection in the United States: Implications for Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis Implementation

2014 ◽  
Vol 28 (12) ◽  
pp. 622-627 ◽  
Author(s):  
Albert Y. Liu ◽  
Nancy A. Hessol ◽  
Eric Vittinghoff ◽  
K. Rivet Amico ◽  
Elizabeth Kroboth ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
At Risk ◽  
Medication Adherence ◽  
Hiv Infection ◽  
The United States ◽  
Sex With Men ◽  
Exposure Prophylaxis

scholarly journals Experiences of the COVID-19 pandemic: cross-sectional analysis of risk perceptions and mental health in a student cohort

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ru Jia ◽  
Holly Knight ◽  
Holly Blake ◽  
Dame Jessica Corner ◽  
Chris Denning ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
University Students ◽  
Perceived Risk ◽  
Risk Perceptions ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Poor Mental Health ◽  
Depression And Anxiety ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Sectional Analysis

AbstractObjectiveThis study examined the COVID-19 risk perceptions and mental health of university students on returning to campus in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.MethodsAn online survey was completed during the first four weeks of the academic year (October 2020) by 897 university students. The survey included demographics and measures of experiences of COVID-19 testing, self-isolation, shielding, perceived risk, mental health and indices capturing related psychological responses to the pandemic.ResultsWe observed higher levels of depression and anxiety, but not stress, in students compared with pre- pandemic normative data, but lower than levels reported earlier in the pandemic in other similar cohorts. Depression, anxiety and stress were independently associated with greater loneliness and reduced positive mood. Greater worry about COVID-19 was also independently associated with anxiety and stress. Female students and those with pre-existing mental health disorders were at greatest risk of poor mental health outcomes.ConclusionAlthough students perceived themselves at only moderate risk of COVID-19, the prevalence of depression and anxiety among university students should remain a concern. Universities should provide adequate support for students’ mental health during term-time. Interventions to reduced loneliness and worry, and improve mood, may benefit students’ overall mental well-being.

scholarly journals Do Men who have Sex with Men (MSM) in the United States Understand that HIV Serodiscordance is Possible?

2013 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 14-16 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bradley H. Wagenaar ◽  
Kristina L. Grabbe ◽  
Rob Stephenson ◽  
Christine M. Khosropour ◽  
Patrick S. Sullivan
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
The United States ◽  
Hiv Status ◽  
Male Couples ◽  
Hiv Counseling And Testing ◽  
Hiv Counseling ◽  
Counseling And Testing ◽  
Sex With Men

Background Little is currently known about the extent to which US MSM understand the possibility that a long-term sex partner can have an HIV status different than one’s own status. This information is important in the adaptation of Couples Voluntary HIV Counseling and Testing (CVCT) for US MSM. Methods 428 US MSM completed an online survey using MySpace.com from March-April, 2009. Results Of 426 MSM with complete data, 21.1% (90) were not definitively aware that serodiscordance is possible. Factors associated with a lack of understanding that serodiscordance is possible were: never having tested for HIV (OR: 2.0; CI: 1.1, 3.8), compared to testing 0-6 months previously and having a high school education or less (OR: 2.2; CI: 1.1, 4.5), compared to men who had completed at least some college. Conclusions A large proportion of young, internet-using MSM in the United States may not understand that HIV serodiscordance is possible within sexual partnerships. Based on these results, we recommend that CVCT provided to male couples in the United States should include education on HIV serodiscordance.

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