TY - JOUR
T1 - HIV self-testing partially filled the HIV testing gap among men who have sex with men in China during the COVID-19 pandemic
T2 - results from an online survey
AU - Jiang, Hongbo
AU - Xie, Yewei
AU - Xiong, Yuan
AU - Zhou, Yi
AU - Lin, Kaihao
AU - Yan, Yao
AU - Tucker, Joseph
AU - Ong, Jason J.
AU - Wu, Dan
AU - Yang, Fan
AU - Tang, Weiming
N1 - Funding Information:
This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (grant numbers 81703282, 81903371); the National Social Science Fund of China (No. 19CSH018); the National Key Research and Development Program of China (grant number 2017YFE0103800); Academy of Medical Sciences and the Newton Fund (grant number NIF\R1\181020); the National Institutes of Health (grant numbers R25 AI140495, R34MH109359 and R34MH119963); UNC Center for AIDS Research (grant number NIAID 5P30AI050410); National Science and Technology Major Project of China (grant number 2018ZX10101-001-001-003); and the Medical Scientific Research Foundation of Guangdong Province, China (grant number A2020509). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript. We are very grateful to all the staff in local CDC and CBOs who helped to promote the online recruitment in this study. We are also very grateful to Wuhan Tongzhi Center for providing T-shirts for the lottery draw. This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (grant numbers 81703282, 81903371); the National Social Science Fund of China (No. 19CSH018); the National Key Research and Development Program of China (grant number 2017YFE0103800); Academy of Medical Sciences and the Newton Fund (grant number NIF\R1\181020); the National Institutes of Health (grant numbers R25 AI140495, R34MH109359 and R34MH119963); UNC Center for AIDS Research (grant number NIAID 5P30AI050410); National Science and Technology Major Project of China (grant number 2018ZX10101-001-001-003); and the Medical Scientific Research Foundation of Guangdong Province, China (grant number A2020509). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.
Funding Information:
This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (grant numbers 81703282, 81903371); the National Social Science Fund of China (No. 19CSH018); the National Key Research and Development Program of China (grant number 2017YFE0103800); Academy of Medical Sciences and the Newton Fund (grant number NIF\R1\181020); the National Institutes of Health (grant numbers R25 AI140495, R34MH109359 and R34MH119963); UNC Center for AIDS Research (grant number NIAID 5P30AI050410); National Science and Technology Major Project of China (grant number 2018ZX10101‐001‐001‐003); and the Medical Scientific Research Foundation of Guangdong Province, China (grant number A2020509). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2021 The Authors. Journal of the International AIDS Society published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of International AIDS Society.
Copyright:
Copyright 2021 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.
PY - 2021/5
Y1 - 2021/5
N2 - Introduction: HIV self-testing (HIVST) is a useful strategy to promote HIV testing among key populations. This study aimed to understand HIV testing behaviours among men who have sex with men (MSM) and specifically how HIVST was used during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) measures in China when access to facility-based testing was limited. Methods: An online cross-sectional study was conducted to recruit men who have sex with men (MSM) in China from May to June of 2020, a period when COVID-19 measures were easing. Data on socio-demographic characteristics, sexual behaviours and HIV testing in the three months before and during COVID-19 measures (23 January 2020) were collected. Chi-square test and logistic regression were used for analyses. Results: Overall, 685 MSM were recruited from 135 cities in 30 provinces of China, whose mean age was 28.8 (SD: 6.9) years old. The majority of participants self-identified as gay (81.9%) and had disclosed their sexual orientation (66.7%). In the last three months, 69.6% ever had sex with men, nearly half of whom had multiple sexual partners (47.2%). Although the overall HIV testing rates before and during COVID-19 measures were comparable, more MSM self-tested for HIV during COVID-19 measures (52.1%) compared to before COVID-19 measures (41.6%, p = 0.038). Fewer MSM used facility-based HIV testing during COVID-19 measures (42.9%) compared to before COVID-19 measures (54.1%, p = 0.038). Among 138 facility-based testers before COVID-19 measures, 59.4% stopped facility-based testing during COVID-19 measures. Among 136 self-testers during COVID-19 measures, 58.1% had no HIV self-testing before COVID-19 measures. Multivariable logistic regression showed that having sex with other men in the last three months (adjusted odds ratio, aOR = 2.04, 95% CI: 1.38 to 3.03), self-identifying as gay (aOR = 2.03, 95% CI: 1.31 to 3.13), ever disclosing their sexual orientation (aOR = 1.72, 95% CI: 1.19 to 2.50) and tested for HIV in three months before COVID-19 measures (aOR = 4.74, 95% CI: 3.35 to 6.70) were associated with HIV testing during COVID-19 measures. Conclusions: Facility-based HIV testing decreased and HIVST increased among MSM during COVID-19 measures in China. MSM successfully accessed HIVST as substitute for facility-based testing, with no overall decrease in HIV testing rates.
AB - Introduction: HIV self-testing (HIVST) is a useful strategy to promote HIV testing among key populations. This study aimed to understand HIV testing behaviours among men who have sex with men (MSM) and specifically how HIVST was used during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) measures in China when access to facility-based testing was limited. Methods: An online cross-sectional study was conducted to recruit men who have sex with men (MSM) in China from May to June of 2020, a period when COVID-19 measures were easing. Data on socio-demographic characteristics, sexual behaviours and HIV testing in the three months before and during COVID-19 measures (23 January 2020) were collected. Chi-square test and logistic regression were used for analyses. Results: Overall, 685 MSM were recruited from 135 cities in 30 provinces of China, whose mean age was 28.8 (SD: 6.9) years old. The majority of participants self-identified as gay (81.9%) and had disclosed their sexual orientation (66.7%). In the last three months, 69.6% ever had sex with men, nearly half of whom had multiple sexual partners (47.2%). Although the overall HIV testing rates before and during COVID-19 measures were comparable, more MSM self-tested for HIV during COVID-19 measures (52.1%) compared to before COVID-19 measures (41.6%, p = 0.038). Fewer MSM used facility-based HIV testing during COVID-19 measures (42.9%) compared to before COVID-19 measures (54.1%, p = 0.038). Among 138 facility-based testers before COVID-19 measures, 59.4% stopped facility-based testing during COVID-19 measures. Among 136 self-testers during COVID-19 measures, 58.1% had no HIV self-testing before COVID-19 measures. Multivariable logistic regression showed that having sex with other men in the last three months (adjusted odds ratio, aOR = 2.04, 95% CI: 1.38 to 3.03), self-identifying as gay (aOR = 2.03, 95% CI: 1.31 to 3.13), ever disclosing their sexual orientation (aOR = 1.72, 95% CI: 1.19 to 2.50) and tested for HIV in three months before COVID-19 measures (aOR = 4.74, 95% CI: 3.35 to 6.70) were associated with HIV testing during COVID-19 measures. Conclusions: Facility-based HIV testing decreased and HIVST increased among MSM during COVID-19 measures in China. MSM successfully accessed HIVST as substitute for facility-based testing, with no overall decrease in HIV testing rates.
KW - COVID-19
KW - facility-based HIV testing
KW - HIV self-testing
KW - men who have sex with men
UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/85106957189
U2 - 10.1002/jia2.25737
DO - 10.1002/jia2.25737
M3 - Article
C2 - 34036750
AN - SCOPUS:85106957189
SN - 1758-2652
VL - 24
JO - Journal of the International AIDS Society
JF - Journal of the International AIDS Society
IS - 5
M1 - e25737
ER -
SDG 3 Good Health and Well-being