HIV testing practices among men who have sex with men in Buenos Aires, Argentina
| Autor: | Curtis Dolezal, Rubén Marone, María M. Avila, María A. Pando, Iván C. Balán, Victoria Barreda, Alex Carballo-Diéguez |
|---|---|
| Rok vydání: | 2013 |
| Předmět: |
Male
Gerontology Health Knowledge Attitudes Practice Health (social science) Respondent-driven sampling Social stigma Social Stigma Ciencias de la Salud HIV Infections Men who have sex with men Condoms Residence Characteristics Risk Factors Surveys and Questionnaires Prevalence Mass Screening Medicine media_common education.field_of_study AIDS Serodiagnosis virus diseases HIV prevalence Sexual Partners Gay Feeling purl.org/becyt/ford/3 [https] Adult CIENCIAS MÉDICAS Y DE LA SALUD Adolescent Social Psychology media_common.quotation_subject Population Argentina Developing country Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay Article purl.org/becyt/ford/3.3 [https] Risk-Taking Humans MSM Homosexuality Male education Socioeconomic status Mass screening Insurance Health Salud Ocupacional business.industry Public Health Environmental and Occupational Health International health Patient Acceptance of Health Care Socioeconomic Factors business Demography |
| Zdroj: | CONICET Digital (CONICET) Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas instacron:CONICET |
| ISSN: | 1360-0451 0954-0121 |
| Popis: | The objective of the study was to explore HIV-testing practices among men who have sex with men (MSM) in Buenos Aires, Argentina, in light of current international health guidelines that recommend frequent HIV testing for MSM who engage in high-risk behavior. Participants, who were recruited using respondent-driven sampling (RDS), were 500 mostly young, nongay-identified MSM of low socioeconomic status, high levels of unemployment, living mainly in the less-affluent areas surrounding Buenos Aires, and lacking health insurance. They provided blood samples for HIV testing and responded to a Computer Assisted Self Interview. Fifty-two percent had never been tested for HIV, and 20% had been tested only once; 17% were found to be HIV infected, of whom almost half were unaware of their status. Main reasons for never having tested previously were: not feeling at risk, fear of finding out results, and not knowing where to get tested. Among those previously tested, men had been tested a median of 2 times with their most recent test having occurred a median of 2.7 years prior to study enrollment. Of those who had not tested positive before entering the study, only 41% returned for their results. HIV testing was infrequent and insufficient for early detection of infection, entry into treatment, and protection of sexual partners. This was particularly the case among nongay-identified MSM. Testing campaigns should aim to help MSM become aware of their risk behavior, decrease fear of testing by explaining available treatment resources and decreasing the stigma associated with HIV, and by publicizing information about free and confidential testing locations. Rapid HIV testing should be made available to eliminate the need for a return visit and make results immediately available to individuals who are tested. Fil: Carballo Diéguez, Alex. Columbia University; Estados Unidos Fil: Balán, Iván C.. Columbia University; Estados Unidos Fil: Dolezal, Curtis. Columbia University; Estados Unidos Fil: Pando, María de los Ángeles. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Medicina. Departamento de Microbiología. Centro Nacional de Referencia para el Sida; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas en Retrovirus y Sida. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Medicina. Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas en Retrovirus y Sida; Argentina Fil: Marone, Ruben. Nexo Asociación Civil; Argentina Fil: Barreda, Victoria. Nexo Asociación Civil; Argentina Fil: Ávila, María Mercedes. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Medicina. Departamento de Microbiología. Centro Nacional de Referencia para el Sida; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas en Retrovirus y Sida. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Medicina. Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas en Retrovirus y Sida; Argentina |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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