Awareness and Use of HIV Self-Testing Among Men Who Have Sex With Men Remains Low in Spain 2 Years After Its Authorization
Guerras, Juan-Miguel (Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Epidemiología y Salud Pública)
Hoyos, Juan (Independent Researcher)
de la Fuente Galán, Luis (Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Epidemiología y Salud Pública)
Donat, Marta (Departamento de epidemiología y bioestadística. Escuela Nacional de Sanidad. Instituto de Salud Carlos III)
Pulido, José (Universidad Complutense de Madrid. Departamento de Salud Pública y Materno-Infantil)
Sordo, Luis (Universidad Complutense de Madrid. Departamento de Salud Pública y Materno-Infantil)
García de Olalla, Patricia (Institut d'Investigació Biomèdica Sant Pau)
Belza, María José (Departamento de epidemiología y bioestadística. Escuela Nacional de Sanidad. Instituto de Salud Carlos III)

Data:	2022
Resum:	Objectives: HIV self-testing has been available in Spain since 2017 as a diagnostic tool to promote earlier diagnosis. We aimed to assess awareness and previous use of HIV self-testing in a sample of men who have sex with men (MSM) recruited online more than 2 years after its legal authorization in Spain. Methods: We analyzed 5,492 MSM recruited between May and July 2020 in gay dating apps/websites and other social networks. We estimated the proportion of participants who were aware of the existence of HIV self-testing and the proportion who reported previous use. To identify factors associated with both outcomes we built two Poisson regression models. Among those who reported previous use we described several aspects related to their last self-test. Results: Awareness of HIV self-test was reported by 29. 7% and its previous use by 5% of participants. Awareness was independently associated with recruitment in gay dating apps/websites, being ≥40 years old, born in Spain-other European countries, having higher educational level, living in medium-small municipalities and living sex life openly. Independent associations were also found with having received a sexually transmitted infection diagnosis (STI) or an HIV negative test in the last 12 months, and being HIV positive. Use was significantly higher among participants who were paid for sex or diagnosed with an STI in the last 12 months and who received their last HIV test in the preceding year. Self-testing occurred recently, with kits acquired at pharmacies and carried out alone. Conclusion: Awareness and use probably have not increased sufficiently in order to make a relevant impact to the promotion of early HIV diagnosis. Additional efforts, mainly focused on less favored MSM, should be made to take better advantage of the possibilities offered by this testing option.
Ajuts:	Ministerio de Sanidad 2019I017
Drets:	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, fins i tot amb finalitats comercials, sempre i quan es reconegui l'autoria de l'obra original.
Llengua:	Anglès
Document:	Article ; recerca ; Versió publicada
Matèria:	Early diagnosis ; HIV self-testing (HIVST) ; Self-diagnosis ; Infectious disease ; Men who have sex with men (MSM)
Publicat a:	Frontiers in Public Health, Vol. 10 (june 2022) , p. 888059, ISSN 2296-2565

DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2022.888059
PMID: 35784245

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