scholarly journals The effective recruitment for high-risk MSM in the mobile HIV testing through social networking platforms (Preprint)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Piao-Yi Chiou ◽  
Nai-Ying Ko ◽  
Chien-Yu Chien
Keyword(s):  
High Risk ◽  
Social Networking ◽  
Hiv Testing ◽  
Anal Intercourse ◽  
Unprotected Anal Intercourse ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Multiple Sexual Partners ◽  
Hiv Test ◽  
The Social ◽  
Sex With Men

BACKGROUND Social networking platforms could be the direct path to recruit high-risk men who have sex with men (MSM) and promote the delivery of voluntary counselling and testing (VCT) as mobile HIV testing (MHT). The structured client recruitment and availability of MHT through social networking platforms need to further evaluate its effectiveness. OBJECTIVE This research aimed to compare the effects of targeting high-risk MSM and HIV case finding between two MHT recruitment and approaches through the website and social networking platforms. METHODS Comparative study design and propensity score matching (PSM) was applied. Traditional VCT model, the control group, recruited MSM on a website and provided a walk-in testing station at a gay zone on Friday and Saturday nights. Social networking VCT mode, the experimental group, recruited MSM from social networking platforms applying the reloading into and online discussion function in dating applications (apps) and Facebook, and referrals to social networks by the mobile phone app, and provided a test at a designated time and place during weekdays. RESULTS A total of 857 MSM were recruited over six months; the completion rate was 8.56% (616/7200) in the traditional VCT model and 20.8% (215/1033) in the social networking VCT mode. After PSM, there were 215 MSM in each group with a mean age of 29.97 (SD=7.609). The social networking model was more likely to reach MSM with HIV risk behaviours: those seeking sex through social media, having multiple sexual partners and unprotected anal intercourse, an experience of recreational drug use, and never having or not regularly having an HIV test than the traditional model. HIV positive rates (IRR=3.395, 95% CI=1.089-10.584, p=0.026) and clinic referred rates (IRR=0.028, 95% CI=0.001-0.585, p=0.006) were significantly higher among those in the social networking VCT model than the traditional VCT model. CONCLUSIONS Through effective recruitment strategies on social networking platforms, the social networking VCT mode can be smoothly promoted compared to traditional VCT model to target high-risk MSM and promote testing outcomes.

Testing for HIV among men who have sex with men needs a paradigm shift in Australia, given the minimal increase between 2003 and 2013 in Melbourne, Australia

Sexual Health ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 12 (5) ◽  
pp. 373 ◽  
Author(s):  
An-Chieh Lin ◽  
Christopher K. Fairley ◽  
Krishneel Dutt ◽  
Karen M. Klassen ◽  
Marcus Y. Chen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Hiv Testing ◽  
Paradigm Shift ◽  
Point Of Care ◽  
Health Centre ◽  
Anal Intercourse ◽  
Unprotected Anal Intercourse ◽  
Sexual Practices ◽  
Hiv Test ◽  
Sex With Men ◽  
First Time

Background Increasing the frequency of HIV testing in men who have sex with men (MSM) will reduce the incidence of HIV. Trends in HIV testing among MSM in Melbourne, Australia over the last 11 years have been investigated. Methods: A retrospective study was conducted using electronic medical records of the first presentation of MSM who attended the Melbourne Sexual Health Centre between 2003 and 2013. Factors associated with HIV testing (year, demographic characteristics and sexual practices) were examined in multivariable logistic regression analyses. Jonckheere–Terpstra tests were used to examine the significance of trends in the mean time since the last HIV test. Results: Of 17 578 MSM seen; 13 489 attended for the first time during the study period. The proportion of first attendances who had previously tested and reported a HIV test in the last 12 months increased from 43.6% in 2003 to 56.9% in 2013 (adjusted ptrend = 0.030), with a corresponding decrease in median time since the last HIV test from 19 months [interquartile range (IQR) 6–42] in 2003 to 10 months (IQR4–24) in 2013 (ptrend <0.001). The proportion of high-risk MSM (who reported unprotected anal intercourse and/or >20 partners in 12 months) who reported an HIV test in the last 12 months was unchanged (ptrend = 0.242). Conclusions: Despite HIV testing becoming more frequent, the magnitude of change over the last decade is insufficient to substantially reduce HIV incidence. A paradigm shift is required to remove barriers to testing through strategies such as point-of-care rapid testing or access to testing without seeing a clinician.

scholarly journals Are there any differences between different testing sites? A cross-sectional study of a Norwegian low-threshold HIV testing service for men who have sex with men

BMJ Open ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 7 (10) ◽  
pp. e017598 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bera Ulstein Moseng ◽  
Vegar Bjørnshagen
Keyword(s):  
Hiv Testing ◽  
Anal Intercourse ◽  
Unprotected Anal Intercourse ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Secondary Outcome ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Testing Service ◽  
Hiv Test ◽  
Low Threshold ◽  
Sex With Men

ObjectiveTo describe a Norwegian low-threshold HIV testing service targeting men who have sex with men (MSM).Design and settingAfter the HIV testing consultation, all users of the HIV testing service were invited to answer the study questionnaire. The study setting included the sites where testing was performed, that is, the testing service’s office in Oslo, cruising areas, bars/clubs and in hotels in other Norwegian cities.ParticipantsMSM users of the testing service.Primary and secondary outcome measuresData were collected on demographics, HIV testing and sexual behaviour as well as the participant’s motivations for choosing to take an HIV test at this low-threshold HIV testing service. The data are stratified by testing site.Results1577 HIV testing consultations were performed, the study sample consisted of 732 MSM users. 11 tested positive for HIV. 21.7% had a non-western background, 27.1% reported having a non-gay sexual orientation. 21.9% had 10 or more male sexual partners during the last year, 27.9% reported also having had a female sexual partner. 56.4% reported having practised unprotected anal intercourse during the last 6 months. 20.1% had never tested for HIV before. Most of these user characteristics varied by testing sites.ConclusionsThe Norwegian low-threshold testing service recruits target groups that are otherwise hard to reach with HIV testing. This may indicate that the testing service contributes to increase HIV testing rates among MSM in Norway.

scholarly journals Socialization Patterns and Their Associations with Unprotected Anal Intercourse, HIV, and Syphilis Among High-Risk Men Who Have Sex with Men and Transgender Women in Peru

2014 ◽  
Vol 18 (10) ◽  
pp. 2030-2039 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael C. Verre ◽  
Jesus Peinado ◽  
Eddy R. Segura ◽  
Jesse Clark ◽  
Pedro Gonzales ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
High Risk ◽  
Anal Intercourse ◽  
Unprotected Anal Intercourse ◽  
Transgender Women ◽  
Sex With Men

A new surveillance system for monitoring HIV infection in Victoria, Australia

Sexual Health ◽  
2007 ◽  
Vol 4 (3) ◽  
pp. 195 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rebecca Guy ◽  
Megan S. C. Lim ◽  
Yung-Hsuan J. Wang ◽  
Nicholas Medland ◽  
Jonathan Anderson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Hiv Infection ◽  
Hiv Testing ◽  
Surveillance System ◽  
Risk Behaviour ◽  
Anal Intercourse ◽  
Unprotected Anal Intercourse ◽  
Hiv Positive ◽  
Sexual Risk Behaviour ◽  
Hiv Diagnosis ◽  
Hiv Test

Objectives: To establish a new mechanism for monitoring patterns of HIV infection, in the context of a sustained increase in HIV diagnosis among men who have sex with men (MSM) in Victoria. Methods: Between April 2004 and August 2005, a linked voluntary HIV sentinel surveillance system was implemented at five medical clinics with a high case load of MSM. Using a questionnaire, doctors collected HIV testing history, demographic and sexual risk behaviour information from all clients undergoing voluntary HIV testing. Questionnaires were linked with HIV test results. Logistic regression analysis was conducted to determine factors associated with HIV infection. Results: Of 3435 MSM tested for HIV at participating sites, 1.7%, (95% CI = 1.2–2.2) were newly diagnosed with HIV; between 2004 and 2005 the proportion increased from 1.3% (95% CI = 1.2–1.5) to 2.0% (95% CI = 1.8–2.2), P = 0.107. There was no significant change in the number of HIV tests conducted per month or in demographic characteristics, testing history and sexual behaviour characteristics between time periods. In multivariate analysis, reporting unprotected anal intercourse (UAI) with any partner, UAI with a HIV-positive partner/s and being aged 30–39 years or 40 years or greater were significantly associated with HIV infection. Conclusion: This new surveillance mechanism, based on linked testing at participating clinics, indicates that the increase in HIV notifications in 2005 was unrelated to changes in testing and data from a Melbourne sexual behavioural survey suggests the increase was more likely to be attributed to increases in transmission within the past few years. The sentinel system highlighted UAI, especially with HIV positive partner/s are important transmission factors.

Sexual partners’ referral for HIV testing through social networking platforms: A social network analysis (Preprint)

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Piao-Yi Chiou ◽  
Chien-Ching Hung ◽  
Chien-Yu Chien
Keyword(s):  
Social Network ◽  
Social Network Analysis ◽  
Network Analysis ◽  
Social Networking ◽  
Hiv Testing ◽  
Sexual Partners ◽  
Hiv Positive ◽  
Network Graph ◽  
Hiv Test ◽  
The Social

BACKGROUND Men who have sex with men (MSM) who undergo HIV voluntary counselling and testing (VCT) usually self-identify as having many sexual partners and as being exposed to risky sexual networks. Limited research discusses the application of motivative interviews and convenience referral platforms for MSM to facilitate the referral of sexual partners to HIV testing. The social network analysis (SNA) of such referral strategy remains unclear. OBJECTIVE To evaluate the effects of sexual partners’ referral through the social networking platforms for HIV testing and the test results after having elicited interviews with MSM, compare the different characteristics and risk behaviors of the subgroups, and to explore the unknown sexual affiliations through visualizing and quantifying the social network graph. METHODS This is a cohort study design. Purposeful sampling was used to recruit the index subjects at a community HIV screening station that is frequented by MSM in Taipei City on Friday and Saturday nights. Respondent-driven sampling was used to recruit the sexual partners. Partner-elicited interviews were conducted by trained staff before the VCT to motivate MSM to become the referrer to refer sexual partners via the Line application (app) or to disclose the account and profile on the relevant social networking platforms. The rapid HIV test was delivered to the referred sexual partners and the recruitment process continued in succession until leads were exhausted. RESULTS After the interviews, 28.2% (75/266) MSM were successfully persuaded to be index subjects in the first wave, referring 127 sexual partners via the Line app for the rapid HIV testing, and disclosing 40 sexual partners. The index subjects and the tested sexual partners exhibited higher numbers of sexual partners (F = 3.83, P = .023), higher frequencies of anal intercourse (F = 10.10, P < .001), and higher percentages of those who had not previously received HIV testing (x2 = 6.106, P = .047) when compared to the subjects without referrals. The newly HIV-seropositivity rate of tested sexual partners was 2.4%, which was higher than the other two groups. The SNA discovered four types of sexual affiliation, namely chain, Y, star, and complicated type. The complicated type had the most HIV-positive nodes. There were 26.87% (43/160) of the HIV-negative sexual partners who had sexual affiliations with HIV-positive nodes; 40% of them (10/25) were untested sexual partners, who had directly sexual affiliation with HIV-positive node. Four transmission bridge was found in the network graph. CONCLUSIONS Partner-elicited interviews can effectively promote the referral or disclosure sexual partners via social networking platforms for HIV testing and HIV case finding, and can reveal unknown sexual affiliations of MSM that can facilitate the development of a tailored prevention program.

scholarly journals Willingness to Take a Free Home HIV Test and Associated Factors among Internet-Using Men Who Have Sex with Men

2011 ◽  
Vol 10 (6) ◽  
pp. 357-364 ◽  
Author(s):  
Akshay Sharma ◽  
Patrick S. Sullivan ◽  
Christine M. Khosropour
Keyword(s):  
Hiv Prevention ◽  
Anal Intercourse ◽  
Unprotected Anal Intercourse ◽  
Hiv Status ◽  
Prevention Study ◽  
Home Test ◽  
Home Testing ◽  
Hiv Test ◽  
Prevention Studies ◽  
Sex With Men

Objectives: Online HIV prevention studies have been limited in their ability to obtain biological specimens to measure study outcomes. We describe factors associated with willingness of men who have sex with men (MSM) to take a free home HIV test as part of an online HIV prevention study. Methods: Between March and April 2009, we interviewed 6163 HIV-negative MSM and assessed the willingness to test for HIV infection using a home collection kit. Results: Men reported being very likely (3833; 62%) or likely (1236; 20%) to accept a home HIV test as part of an online HIV prevention study. The odds of being willing to home test were higher for men who were offered incentives of $10 or $25, were black, had unprotected anal intercourse in the past 12 months, and were unaware of their HIV status. Conclusions: Home testing offered as part of online HIV prevention research is acceptable overall and in important subgroups of high-risk MSM.

Correlates of recent HIV testing among substance-using men who have sex with men

2016 ◽  
Vol 28 (6) ◽  
pp. 594-601 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher Rowe ◽  
Tim Matheson ◽  
Moupali Das ◽  
Erin DeMicco ◽  
Jeffrey H Herbst ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Substance Use ◽  
Hiv Testing ◽  
San Francisco ◽  
Multivariable Analysis ◽  
Anal Intercourse ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Hiv Test ◽  
Condomless Anal Intercourse ◽  
Sex With Men

Men who have sex with men are disproportionately impacted by HIV and substance use is a key driver of HIV risk and transmission among this population. We conducted a cross-sectional survey of 3242 HIV-negative substance-using men who have sex with men aged 18 + in the San Francisco Bay Area from March 2009 to May 2012. Demographic characteristics and sexual risk and substance use behaviors in the last six months were collected using structured telephone questionnaires. We used multivariable logistic regression to identify independent demographic and behavioral predictors of recent HIV testing. In all, 65% reported having an HIV test in the last six months. In multivariable analysis, increasing age (aOR = 0.87, 95% CI = 0.84–0.90) and drinking alcohol (<1 drink/day: 0.65, 0.46–0.92; 2–3 drinks/day: 0.64, 0.45–0.91; 4 + drinks/day: 0.52, 0.35–0.78) were negatively associated with recent HIV testing. Having two or more condomless anal intercourse partners (2.17, 1.69–2.79) was positively associated with having a recent HIV test, whereas condomless anal intercourse with serodiscordant partners was not significantly associated with testing. Older men who have sex with men and those who drink alcohol may benefit from specific targeting in efforts to expand HIV testing. Inherently riskier discordant serostatus of partners is not as significant a motivator of HIV testing as condomless anal intercourse in general.

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