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Martínez-Riveros H, Díaz Y, Montoro-Fernandez M, Moreno-Fornés S, González V, Muntada E, Romano-deGea P, Muñoz R, Hoyos J, Casabona J, Agustí C. An Online HIV Self-Sampling Strategy for Gay, Bisexual and Other Men Who Have Sex with Men and Trans Women in Spain. J Community Health 2024; 49:535-548. [PMID: 38141149 PMCID: PMC10981614 DOI: 10.1007/s10900-023-01311-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/08/2023] [Indexed: 12/24/2023]
Abstract
We aimed to evaluate the feasibility of an online self-sampling pilot intervention for HIV testing addressed to gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (GBMSM) and trans women (TW) users of dating apps in Spain. The website https://www.testate.org/ was designed to offer self-sampling kits for HIV testing and online consultation of the results. It was advertised on gay dating apps. Participants requested the delivery of a saliva self-sampling kit by mail and a postage-paid envelope to send the sample to the reference laboratory. An anonymous acceptability survey was conducted. The cascade of care was estimated. From November 2018 to December 2021, 4623 individual users ordered self-sampling kits, 3097 returned an oral fluid sample to the reference laboratory (67.5% return rate). 87 reactive results were detected. 76 were confirmed to be HIV-positive, we estimated an HIV prevalence of 2.45% (95% CI 1.9-3.0%). 100% of those referred to specialized care are in treatment. 45.8% of participants took more than one test. 23 incident cases were detected among repeat testers, of which 20 were confirmed. The estimated incidence was 1.00 confirmed case per 100 individual-years of follow-up. 98.01% of participants would recommend it to a friend. The most identified advantages were convenience and privacy. We demonstrated that the online offer of oral self-sampling kits for HIV detection and reporting results online among GBMSM and TW users of dating apps is feasible. The intervention counted with a high acceptability and high efficacy (in terms of reactivity, confirmation and linkage to care rates).
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Affiliation(s)
- Héctor Martínez-Riveros
- Doctorate Program in Methodology of Biomedical Research and Public Health, Department of Paediatrics, Obstetrics and Gynaecology and Preventive Medicine, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Badalona, Spain.
- Centre for Epidemiological Studies on Sexually Transmitted Infections and AIDS of Catalonia (CEEISCAT), Ministry of Health of the Government of Catalonia, Badalona, Spain.
- Germans Trias i Pujol Research Institute (IGTP), Campus Can Ruti, Badalona, Spain.
- Fundació Institut d'Investigació en Ciències de la Salut Germans Trias i Pujol (IGTP), Edifici Muntanya, Carretera de Can Ruti, Camí de les Escoles s/n, 08916, Badalona, Spain.
| | - Yesika Díaz
- Centre for Epidemiological Studies on Sexually Transmitted Infections and AIDS of Catalonia (CEEISCAT), Ministry of Health of the Government of Catalonia, Badalona, Spain
- Germans Trias i Pujol Research Institute (IGTP), Campus Can Ruti, Badalona, Spain
- Biomedical Research Center Network for Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - Marcos Montoro-Fernandez
- Centre for Epidemiological Studies on Sexually Transmitted Infections and AIDS of Catalonia (CEEISCAT), Ministry of Health of the Government of Catalonia, Badalona, Spain
| | - Sergio Moreno-Fornés
- Centre for Epidemiological Studies on Sexually Transmitted Infections and AIDS of Catalonia (CEEISCAT), Ministry of Health of the Government of Catalonia, Badalona, Spain
- Germans Trias i Pujol Research Institute (IGTP), Campus Can Ruti, Badalona, Spain
- Biomedical Research Center Network for Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - Victoria González
- Centre for Epidemiological Studies on Sexually Transmitted Infections and AIDS of Catalonia (CEEISCAT), Ministry of Health of the Government of Catalonia, Badalona, Spain
- Biomedical Research Center Network for Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
- Microbiology Service, Clinical Laboratory Metropolitana Nord, Badalona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Esteve Muntada
- Centre for Epidemiological Studies on Sexually Transmitted Infections and AIDS of Catalonia (CEEISCAT), Ministry of Health of the Government of Catalonia, Badalona, Spain
| | - Pol Romano-deGea
- Centre for Epidemiological Studies on Sexually Transmitted Infections and AIDS of Catalonia (CEEISCAT), Ministry of Health of the Government of Catalonia, Badalona, Spain
| | - Rafael Muñoz
- Centre for Epidemiological Studies on Sexually Transmitted Infections and AIDS of Catalonia (CEEISCAT), Ministry of Health of the Government of Catalonia, Badalona, Spain
- Early Detection of Cancer Research Group, EPIBELL Program, Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute, L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain
| | | | - Jordi Casabona
- Centre for Epidemiological Studies on Sexually Transmitted Infections and AIDS of Catalonia (CEEISCAT), Ministry of Health of the Government of Catalonia, Badalona, Spain
- Germans Trias i Pujol Research Institute (IGTP), Campus Can Ruti, Badalona, Spain
- Biomedical Research Center Network for Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
- Department of Genetics and Microbiology, Autonomous University of Barcelona, Badalona, Spain
| | - Cristina Agustí
- Centre for Epidemiological Studies on Sexually Transmitted Infections and AIDS of Catalonia (CEEISCAT), Ministry of Health of the Government of Catalonia, Badalona, Spain
- Germans Trias i Pujol Research Institute (IGTP), Campus Can Ruti, Badalona, Spain
- Biomedical Research Center Network for Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
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Leluţiu-Weinberger C, Rendina HJ, Mirandola M, Gios L, Folch C, Rafila A, Pachankis JE. The Role of Gay-Related Stigma in HIV-Risk Behavior Among Sexual Minority Men in Europe. AIDS Behav 2019; 23:684-694. [PMID: 30302655 DOI: 10.1007/s10461-018-2306-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
Sexual orientation stigma stems from discriminatory social contexts and may ultimately impact the behavioral health of stigmatized individuals through stress-related pathways. Sexual minority stigma is of particular concern in Europe given the diversity of social contexts on the continent and sexual minority men's rapidly increasing risk of HIV infection, especially in Central and Eastern Europe, potentially rooted in stigma. This study assesses whether stigma in the ubiquitous social contexts surrounding sexual minority men (e.g., family, workplace, government) may place them at higher risk for HIV contraction across six countries. We utilized a large cross-sectional survey sample of HIV-negative sexual minority men (N = 2087; mean age = 31.6, SD = 9.7) from six European countries to test whether those who reported sexual orientation stigma also engaged in more HIV risk-related behaviors, including condomless sex with casual partners (in the absence of PrEP) and substance use before and during sex. Regression analyses were performed in Mplus. We found that a one standard deviation increase in reported sexual orientation stigma was significantly associated with the following during the last sexual encounter: a 19% increase in odds of sex under the influence of alcohol, 27% increase in odds of sex under the influence of cannabis, 49% increase in odds of sex under the influence of illicit drugs, an 11% increase in odds of condomless sex with casual partners in the past 6 months, and a 26% increase in odds of knowing where to receive an HIV test. Sexual minority men who reported perceiving greater sexual orientation-related stigma within their ubiquitous social contexts were significantly more likely to report sexual risk and alcohol and drug use during their last sexual encounter, yet reported more knowledge of preventive services. Contextual stigma might serve as a precursor to behavioral risks of HIV infection, generating maladaptive stress responses capable of being modified through individually-focused interventions. Structural interventions are also needed to ultimately reduce stigma at its source.
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Affiliation(s)
- Corina Leluţiu-Weinberger
- Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences, School of Nursing and François-Xavier Bagnoud Center, Rutgers, State University of New Jersey, 65 Bergen Street, Rm 846 North, Newark, NJ, 07101, USA.
| | - H Jonathon Rendina
- Department of Psychology and the Center for HIV Educational Studies and Training (CHEST), Hunter College, City University of New York, New York, NY, USA
- Health Psychology and Clinical Science Doctoral Program, The Graduate Center of the City University of New York, New York, NY, USA
| | - Massimo Mirandola
- Infectious Diseases Section, Department of Diagnostics and Public Health, University of Verona, Verona, Italy
- Veneto Region - Department of Health, CReMPE - Regional Coordination Centre for European Project Management, the Verona University Hospital, Verona, Italy
| | - Lorenzo Gios
- Veneto Region - Department of Health, CReMPE - Regional Coordination Centre for European Project Management, the Verona University Hospital, Verona, Italy
| | - Cinta Folch
- Departament de Salut, Center Estudis Epidemiològics sobre les Infections de Transmissió Sexual i Sida de Catalunya (CEEISCAT), Generalitat de Catalunya, Barcelona, Spain
- CIBER Epidemiologia y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Alexandru Rafila
- Universitatea de Medicină şi Farmacie "Carol Davila", Bucureşti, România
- Institutul Naţional de Boli Infecţioase "Prof. Dr. Matei Balş", Bucureşti, România
| | - John E Pachankis
- Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, CT, USA
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