Live Presentation
Speak with Wes Megan Martin about their practicum on January 31st from 3:45-4:15pm via this .
Video Presentation
View Wes Megan Martin's poster presentation in this video recording:Â
Abstract
Despite advancements in treatment, HIV continues to disproportionately affect gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (GBM) in Canada and elsewhere. Testing at adequate intervals remains an important component of efforts to prevent and eliminate HIV transmission within this population. Provincial guidelines on HIV testing recommend that GBM be tested annually, or every 3-6 months if they have multiple sexual partners or other risk factors, such as injection drug use. In this study, we sought to determine the proportion of GBM who have been recently tested in three major Canadian cities and examine individual-level factors that may be associated with testing behaviour.Â
The Engage Study recruited GBM via respondent-driven sampling (RDS) from Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver between 2017 and 2019. At the baseline visit, participants completed a questionnaire and received testing for STIs, including HIV and others, using blood, urine, and swab tests. We conducted a cross-sectional analysis of this baseline data to examine the correlates of not being tested for HIV in the past six months at the moment of inclusion in the cohort using fitted logistic-regression models stratified by city. Â
From the initial cohort of 2449 GBM, 1888 HIV-negative or HIV-unknown participants (Montreal, n=892; Toronto, n=397; Vancouver, n=599) were included in the final analysis. Approximately half (Montreal = 52.3%; Toronto = 45.6%; Vancouver = 49.6%) of the participants had not been tested within the past six months. Factors associated with not having been recently tested in at least two of the three cities were: being at objective low risk of acquiring HIV, not having a primary healthcare provider or not being out to their provider, having mild or no anxiety according to the HADS scale, no recent problematic substance use, having a main partner and lacking knowledge of HIV or where to get tested. Immigration to Canada within the previous ten years was associated with recent testing in all sites.Â
Our findings show that HIV testing can be further optimised among Canadian GBM. Though factors likely vary between cities, lacking a primary healthcare provider to whom they felt able to disclose their sexual history reduced the odds of recent testing in all sites. Future analysis will be conducted to examine which factors have the most impact among those who are at high risk of HIV seroconversion, for whom biannual testing is recommended.Â