COBA-Cohort : a prospective cohort of HIV-negative men who have sex with men, attending community-based HIV testing services in five European countries (a study protocol)
Lorente, Nicolas (Institut Germans Trias i Pujol)
Fernández López, Laura (Institut Germans Trias i Pujol)
Fuertes, Ricardo (GAT-Grupo de Ativistas em Tratamentos)
Rojas Castro, Daniela (Groupe de Recherche en Psychologie Sociale (GRePS) EA4163, Université de Lyon 2)
Pichon, François (AIDS-Fondet)
Cigan, Bojan (Legebitra)
Chanos, Sophocles (Ath Checkpoint)
Meireles, Paula (Institute of Public Health, University of Porto)
Lucas, Raquel (University of Porto Medical School)
Morel, Stéphane (AIDES (MIRE-Mission Innovation Recherche Expérimentation))
Slaaen Kaye, Per (AIDS-Fondet)
Agustí, Cristina (Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Epidemiología y Salud Pública)
Klavs, Irena (National Institute of Public Health)
Platteau, Tom (Institute of Tropical Medicine)
Casabona-Barbarà, Jordi (Institut Germans Trias i Pujol)
Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona

Date:	2016
Abstract:	Community-based voluntary counselling and testing (CBVCT) services for men who have sex with men (MSM) can reach those most-at-risk and provide an environment for gay men that is likely to be non-stigmatising. Longitudinal data on the behaviour of HIV-negative MSM are scarce in Europe. The aim of this protocol, developed during the Euro HIV Early Diagnosis And Treatment (EDAT) project, is to implement a multicentre community-based cohort of HIV-negative MSM attending 15 CBVCT services in 5 European countries. (1) To describe the patterns of CBVCT use, (2) to estimate HIV incidence, and to identify determinants of (3) HIV seroconversion and (4) HIV and/or sexually transmitted infection (STI) test-seeking behaviour. All MSM aged 18 years or over and who had a negative HIV test result are invited to participate in the COmmunity-BAsed Cohort (COBA-Cohort). Study enrolment started in February 2015, and is due to continue for at least 12 months at each study site. Follow-up frequency depends on the testing recommendations in each country (at least 1 test per year). Sociodemographic data are collected at baseline; baseline and follow-up questionnaires both gather data on attitudes and perceptions, discrimination, HIV/STI testing history, sexual behaviour, condom use, and pre- and post-exposure prophylaxis. Descriptive, exploratory and multivariate analyses will be performed to address the main research objectives of this study, using appropriate statistical tests and models. These analyses will be performed on the whole cohort data and stratified by study site or country. The study was approved by the Public Health authorities of each country where the study is being implemented. Findings from the COBA-Cohort study will be summarised in a report to the European Commission, and in leaflets to be distributed to study participants. Articles and conference abstracts will be submitted to peer-reviewed journals and conferences.
Note:	Altres ajuts: This work was supported by the Consumers, Health, Agriculture and Food Executive Agency (CHAFEA, European Commission); grant number 2013-11-01-613233.
Rights:	Aquest document està subjecte a una llicència d'ús Creative Commons. Es permet la reproducció total o parcial, la distribució, la comunicació pública de l'obra i la creació d'obres derivades, sempre que no sigui amb finalitats comercials, i sempre que es reconegui l'autoria de l'obra original.
Language:	Anglès
Document:	Article ; recerca ; Versió publicada
Subject:	Men who have sex with men ; Community-based HIV testing ; HIV-negative cohort ; Sexual behaviour ; HIV incidence
Published in:	BMJ open, Vol. 6 (july 2016) , ISSN 2044-6055

DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2016-011314
PMID: 27412103

8 p, 1.0 MB

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Research literature > UAB research groups literature > Research Centres and Groups (research output) > Health sciences and biosciences > Institut d'Investigació en Ciencies de la Salut Germans Trias i Pujol (IGTP)
Articles > Research articles
Articles > Published articles