Effect of availability of HIV self-testing on HIV testing frequency in gay and bisexual men at high risk of infection (FORTH): a waiting-list randomised controlled trial

Introduction : HIV diagnoses among gay and bisexual men have increased over the past decade in Australia. HIV point-of-care testing (POCT) was introduced in Australia in 2011 as a strategy to increase HIV testing by making the testing process more convenient. We surveyed gay and bisexual men undergoing POCT to assess barriers to HIV testing and characteristics associated with not having previously tested for HIV (never testing). Methods : During 2011 and 2012, gay and bisexual men who were undergoing POCT at four Sydney sexual health clinics self-completed questionnaires assessing testing history and psychological and structural barriers to HIV testing. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression was used to assess associations between patient characteristics and never testing. Results : Of 1093 participants, 981 (89.9%) reported ever testing for HIV and 110 (10.1%) never testing. At least one barrier to testing was reported by 1046 men (95.7%), with only 47 men (4.3%) not reporting any barrier to testing. The most commonly reported barriers to testing were annoyance at having to return for results (30.2%), not having done anything risky (29.6%), stress in waiting for results (28.4%), being afraid of testing positive (27.5%) and having tested recently (23.2%). Never testing was independently associated with being non-gay-identified (adjusted odds ratio [AOR]: 1.9; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.1–3.2), being aged less than 25 years (AOR: 2.4; 95% CI: 1.6–3.8), living in a suburb with few gay couples (AOR: 1.9; 95% CI: 1.2–3.0), being afraid of testing HIV-positive (AOR: 1.6; 95% CI: 1.0–2.4), not knowing where to test (AOR: 3.8; 95% CI: 1.3–11.2) and reporting one or no sexual partners in the last six months (AOR: 2.7; 95% CI: 1.2–6.2). Conclusions : Barriers to HIV testing were commonly reported among the clinic-based gay and bisexual men in this study. Our findings suggest further health promotion and prevention strategies are needed to address the knowledge, attitudes and behavioural factors associated with never testing. Keywords: barriers to HIV testing; never testing; gay and bisexual men; sexual health clinics. To access the supplementary material to this article please see Supplementary Files in the column to the right (under Article Tools). (Published: 27 August 2015) Citation: Conway DP et al. Journal of the International AIDS Society 2015, 18 :20221 http://www.jiasociety.org/index.php/jias/article/view/20221 | http://dx.doi.org/10.7448/IAS.18.1.20221

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.7448/IAS.18.1.20221

Barriers to HIV testing and characteristics associated with never testing among gay and bisexual men attending sexual health clinics in Sydney.

Author(s): Zhang, Ci; Li, Xianhong; Brecht, Mary-Lynn; Koniak-Griffin, Deborah | Abstract: BACKGROUND:Globally, four out of ten individuals living with HIV have not been tested for HIV. Testing is especially important for men who have sex with men (MSM), among whom an increasing HIV epidemic has been identified in many regions of the world. As a supplement to site-based HIV testing services, HIV self-testing (HIVST) provides a promising approach to promote HIV testing. However, evidence is scattered and not well-summarized on the effect of HIVST to improve HIV testing behaviors, especially for MSM. METHODS:Seven databases (PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, PsycINFO, CINAHL Plus, WanFang, and China National Knowledge Internet) and conference abstracts from six HIV/sexually transmitted infections conferences were searched from January 2000-April 2017. RESULTS:Of 1,694 records retrieved, 23 studies were identified, 9 conducted in resource-limited countries and 14 in high-income countries. The pooled results showed that HIVST increased HIV test frequency for MSM by one additional test in a 6-month period (mean difference = 0.88 [95% CI 0.52-1.24]). The pooled proportion of first-time testers among those who took HIVST was 18.7% (95% CI: 9.9-32.4) globally, with a rate 3.32 times higher in resource-limited country settings (32.9% [95% CI: 21.3-47.6]) than in high-income countries (9.9% [95% CI: 7.4-13.8]). The pooled proportions included non-recent testers, 32.9% (95% CI: 28.1-38.3); ever or currently married MSM, 16.7% (95% CI: 14.5-19.4); and HIV positive men, 3.8% (95% CI: 2.0-5.7) globally; 6.5% [95% CI: 0.38-12.3] in resource-limited country settings; and 2.9% [95% CI: 2.0-5.0] in high-income countries). The rates reported for linkage to care ranged from 31.3% to 100%. CONCLUSIONS:HIVST could increase HIV testing frequency and potentially have capacity equivalent to that of site-based HIV testing services to reach first-time, delayed, married, and HIV-infected testers among MSM and link them to medical care. However, more rigorous study designs are needed to explore the specific self-testing approach (oral-fluid based or finger-prick based) on improving HIV testing for MSM in different social and economic settings.

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Can self-testing increase HIV testing among men who have sex with men: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Men who have sex with men (MSM) have a disproportionately greater risk than other populations of acquiring Chlamydia trachomatis (CT) and Neisseria gonorrhoeae (GC), the two most commonly reported notifiable diseases in the United States according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The presence of either of these diseases is a significant risk factor for the acquisition and transmission of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Recent studies have shown that significant rates of asymptomatic GC and CT infection are found at the extragenital oropharygeal and rectal sites in MSM, with or without concurrent urogenital infection. However, extragenital sites are not being routinely screened and, thus, many asymptomatic GC and CT infections at the oropharyngeal and rectal sites may go undiagnosed. This review will begin with the current evidence-based screening recommendations for extragenital GC and CT in MSM. This will be followed by recently reported extragenital GC and CT infection rates in asymptomatic MSM, and a discussion of the risks and potential implications of undiagnosed extragenital GC and CT infections. Finally, a discussion on the frequency of, and potential barriers to, screening will be presented with a summary of potential interventions for increasing screening frequency found in the literature. The scope of this review will focus primarily on U.S. recommendations, infection rates, and screening frequencies, with the inclusion of relevant international recommendations and studies for comparative and illustrative purposes.

Screening for Asymptomatic Extragenital Gonorrhea and Chlamydia in Men Who Have Sex with Men: Significance, Recommendations, and Options for Overcoming Barriers to Testing.

Objectives To analyse changes in testing for sexually transmissible infections (STI) among gay and bisexual men in Melbourne, Sydney and Queensland, Australia, particularly comprehensive STI testing (at least four tests from different anatomical sites in the previous year), and the characteristics of men who had such testing. Method Data were analysed from repeated, cross-sectional, community-based surveys conducted during 2003–2012. Trends in specific STI tests and comprehensive testing were assessed and the characteristics of participants who reported comprehensive STI testing were identified using multivariate logistic regression, stratified by HIV status. Results Among HIV-negative and unknown status men (n=51 009), comprehensive STI and HIV testing increased substantially from 13% in 2003 to 34% in 2012. During the same period, comprehensive STI testing (excluding HIV testing) increased from 24% to 57% among HIV-positive men (n=5532). In both HIV status groups, comprehensive testing was more commonly reported by men who had unprotected anal intercourse with casual partners, and men with higher numbers of partners. Among HIV-negative/unknown status participants, comprehensive STI and HIV testing was also associated with education level, regional location and finding partners online. Among HIV-positive men, comprehensive STI testing was also associated with free time spent with gay men and illicit drug use. Comprehensive testing was related to a high annual rate of diagnosis with STIs (20% of HIV-negative/unknown status men and 38% of HIV-positive men). Conclusions There has been a substantial improvement in the proportion of gay and bisexual men in Melbourne, Sydney and Queensland who report comprehensive testing. Comprehensive testing is most likely among men whose practices put them at increased risk of infection, and is associated with a high rate of STI diagnosis. However, opportunities for comprehensive testing are still being missed, suggesting a need for its ongoing promotion.

https://sti.bmj.com/content/sextrans/90/3/208.full.pdf

Comprehensive testing for, and diagnosis of, sexually transmissible infections among Australian gay and bisexual men: findings from repeated, cross-sectional behavioural surveillance, 2003-2012.

Men who have sex with men (MSM) are at particular risk for HIV/sexually transmitted infections (STI). To investigate the European guidance used for MSM STI and HIV screening, risk level profiling and how this translated to practice, we conducted a questionnaire survey of leading physicians in the European branch of the International Union against Sexually Transmitted Infections (IUSTI). We identified that most European countries have limited guidance on screening intervals for MSM. Where risk profiling is advised, it is often left to clinicians to weight different behaviours and decide on screening frequency. Our results suggest that European MSM STI and HIV testing guidelines be developed with clear and specific recommendations around screening intervals and risk profiling. These guidelines will be particularly helpful due to rapidly evolving models of sexual healthcare, and the emergence of new providers who may benefit from guidelines that require less interpretation.

Bhavin Doshi

Papers

Guidance and practice on frequency of HIV and sexually transmitted infection testing in men who have sex with men – what is the European situation?: