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He L, Jiang T, Chen W, Jiang S, Zheng J, Chen W, Wang H, Ma Q, Chai C. Examining HIV Testing Coverage and Factors Influencing First-Time Testing Among Men Who Have Sex With Men in Zhejiang Province, China: Cross-Sectional Study Based on a Large Internet Survey. JMIR Public Health Surveill 2024; 10:e56906. [PMID: 38875001 PMCID: PMC11214029 DOI: 10.2196/56906] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2024] [Revised: 02/20/2024] [Accepted: 05/05/2024] [Indexed: 06/15/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Men who have sex with men (MSM) constitute a significant population of patients infected with HIV. In recent years, several efforts have been made to promote HIV testing among MSM in China. OBJECTIVE This study aimed to assess HIV testing coverage and factors associated with first-time HIV testing among MSM to provide a scientific basis for achieving the goal of diagnosing 95% of patients infected with HIV by 2030. METHODS This cross-sectional study was conducted between July 2023 and December 2023. MSM were recruited from the "Sunshine Test," an internet platform that uses location-based services to offer free HIV testing services to MSM by visiting the WeChat official account in Zhejiang Province, China. Participants were required to complete a questionnaire on their demographic characteristics, sexual behaviors, substance use, and HIV testing history. A logistic regression model was used to analyze first-time HIV testing and its associated factors. RESULTS A total of 7629 MSM participated in the study, with 87.1% (6647) having undergone HIV testing before and 12.9% (982) undergoing HIV testing for the first time. Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that first-time HIV testing was associated with younger age (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 2.55, 95% CI 1.91-3.42), lower education (aOR 1.39, 95% CI 1.03-1.88), student status (aOR 1.35, 95% CI 1.04-1.75), low income (aOR 1.55, 95% CI 1.16-2.08), insertive anal sex role (aOR 1.28, 95% CI 1.05-1.56), bisexuality (aOR 1.69, 95% CI 1.40-2.03), fewer sex partners (aOR 1.44, 95% CI 1.13-1.83), use of rush poppers (aOR 2.06, 95% CI 1.70-2.49), unknown HIV status of sex partners (aOR 1.40, 95% CI 1.17-1.69), lack of awareness of HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (aOR 1.39, 95% CI 1.03-1.88), and offline HIV testing uptake (aOR 2.08, 95% CI 1.80-2.41). CONCLUSIONS A notable 12.9% (982/7629) of MSM had never undergone HIV testing before this large internet survey. We recommend enhancing HIV intervention and testing through internet-based platforms and gay apps to promote testing among MSM and achieve the target of diagnosing 95% of patients infected with HIV by 2030.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lin He
- Zhejiang Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Hangzhou, China
| | - Tingting Jiang
- Zhejiang Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Hangzhou, China
| | - Wanjun Chen
- Zhejiang Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Hangzhou, China
| | | | - Jinlei Zheng
- Zhejiang Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Hangzhou, China
| | - Weiyong Chen
- Zhejiang Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Hangzhou, China
| | - Hui Wang
- Zhejiang Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Hangzhou, China
| | - Qiaoqin Ma
- Zhejiang Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Hangzhou, China
| | - Chengliang Chai
- Zhejiang Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Hangzhou, China
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Li JS, Gu YZ, Hou FS, Lu YH, Fan XR, Qiu JL, Yang QL, Gu J, Li JH, Xu DR, Hao C. Delivery of WeChat-Based HIV Result e-Reports in Social Networks for Recruitment of High-Risk Population: Baseline Data From a Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial. J Med Internet Res 2023; 25:e46793. [PMID: 37318850 PMCID: PMC10337306 DOI: 10.2196/46793] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2023] [Revised: 05/20/2023] [Accepted: 05/23/2023] [Indexed: 06/17/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Disclosure of infectious disease status to social network peers can facilitate reaching and early detection among high-risk populations. In this era of social media, globally, HIV/AIDS represents a high burden of infectious disease. Thus, delivery of an HIV result e-report via social media presents a new approach that has the potential to improve contact with and enrollment of the high-risk population in research studies and routine practice. OBJECTIVE This study explores the effectiveness and associated factors of a recruitment strategy (ie, WeChat-based HIV e-report delivery in social networks) on the enrollment of men who have sex with men (MSM) for an HIV testing intervention study. METHODS This was an enrollment result analysis of an ongoing cluster randomized controlled trial (RCT) aiming to promote HIV testing among MSM. Recruitment of potential participants was based on the unit of an egocentric social network, which includes 1 core member (an offline tested ego as the recruiter) and several network members (online alters as network associates). Alters' enrollment and alters' transformation to ego-recruiters (alter-ego) were measured as outcomes. Recruitment outcomes were compared between the exchangeable and regular e-report groups of the RCT. Associated factors of both outcomes were also investigated, including sociodemographic characteristics, health behaviors, social network characteristics, e-report types, and online delivery information. Binary outcomes were modeled using logistic models, with Firth correction for rare events. Qualitative interviews were conducted to understand facilitators and barriers in detail for alter-ego as the subsequent wave's recruiter. RESULTS The e-report of 1157 egos who tested offline were delivered to 5165 alters in 3 recruitment waves; eventually, 1162 eligible alters enrolled in this RCT (response rate: 22.5%). In the exchangeable e-report group, 544 egos recruited 467 alters, of which 35 alters transformed to alter-egos (7.5%), whereas in the regular e-report group, 613 egos recruited 695 alters, of which 40 alters transformed to alter-egos (5.8%). Alters' enrollment at first wave was associated with a higher number of e-reports being forwarded by the egos. Alters' transformation to alter-egos for the subsequent wave was associated with the exchangeable e-report, higher income, being a Guangzhou resident, unprotected anal intercourse, preferring self-testing, and viewing senders' e-reports frequently. Qualitative interviews revealed that the lack of awareness of e-reports' function and inadequate access to e-reports at offline testing facilities were major barriers to alters' transformation to offline ego-recruiters. CONCLUSIONS The delivery of e-report was feasible in MSM social network, and the success and sustainability of online recruitment depended on high levels of familiarity among MSM with the digital tool. The HIV e-report exchange mechanism might promote MSM to test HIV offline to get their own e-report for exchange in the community. The e-report provides an innovative recruitment method with great potential to trace direct contacts for infectious diseases studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ju-Shuang Li
- Department of Medical Statistics, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China
- Sun Yat-Sen Global Health Institute, Institute of State Governance, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yu-Zhou Gu
- Guangzhou Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Guangzhou, China
| | - Feng-Su Hou
- Sun Yat-Sen Global Health Institute, Institute of State Governance, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China
- Department of Public Health, Shenzhen Kangning Hospital, Shenzhen, China
| | - Yong-Heng Lu
- Guangzhou Lingnan Community Support Center, Guangzhou, China
- Kangyuan Community Support Center of Yuexiu District, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xiao-Ru Fan
- Department of Medical Statistics, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China
- Sun Yat-Sen Global Health Institute, Institute of State Governance, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jia-Ling Qiu
- Department of Public Health, Guangdong Women and Children Hospital, Guangzhou, China
| | - Qing-Ling Yang
- Department of Medical Statistics, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China
- Sun Yat-Sen Global Health Institute, Institute of State Governance, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jing Gu
- Department of Medical Statistics, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China
- Sun Yat-Sen Global Health Institute, Institute of State Governance, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jing-Hua Li
- Department of Medical Statistics, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China
- Sun Yat-Sen Global Health Institute, Institute of State Governance, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Dong Roman Xu
- Center for World Health Organization Studies, School of Health Management, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
- Department of Health Management, School of Health Management, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
- Acacia Lab for Implementation Research, Southern Medical University Institute for Global Health, Dermatology Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Chun Hao
- Department of Medical Statistics, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China
- Sun Yat-Sen Global Health Institute, Institute of State Governance, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China
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Mboussi DAS, Lin Y, Fornah L, Ma W. Impact of Social Media Use on HIV Testing and Related Mediator among Men Who Have Sex with Men in Shandong Province, China. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2023; 20:5383. [PMID: 37047997 PMCID: PMC10093945 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph20075383] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2023] [Revised: 03/30/2023] [Accepted: 03/31/2023] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
In China, HIV testing is the important first step of HIV prevention and treatment cascades but is not widely adopted by men who have sex with men (MSM). However, social media has been increasingly used to promote and improve HIV testing. This study aimed to assess the impact of social media use on HIV testing and explore the mediator in the relationship between social media and HIV testing. The authors conducted a cross-sectional study among 935 MSM participants in 11 cities in Shandong Province from 14 September to 6 December 2020. Multivariable regression was conducted to assess the relationship between social media use and HIV testing uptake, and mediation analysis was used to assess the mediation effect of HIV testing self-efficacy in the relationship between social media use and HIV testing. The present study findings showed that social media use was related to HIV testing (aOR = 3.024, 95% CI: 1.869, 4.892) and HIV self-testing uptake (aOR = 1.894, 95% CI: 1.228, 2.922), but was not related to HIV facility-based testing (aOR = 1.709, 95% CI: 0.806, 3.625, p = 0.162). A mediation effect of HIV testing self-efficacy was found between social media use and HIV testing (indirect effect: 0.13, 95% CI: 0.01, 0.29), facility-based testing (indirect effect: 0.05, 95% CI: 0.003, 0.16), and self-testing uptake (indirect effect: 0.07, 95% CI: 0.01, 0.16). Social media could be an effective tool to improve HIV testing, and healthcare providers should pay more attention to HIV testing self-efficacy in HIV testing promotion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daisy Aurore Steinely Mboussi
- Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan 250012, China
| | - Yuxi Lin
- Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan 250012, China
| | - Lovel Fornah
- Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan 250012, China
| | - Wei Ma
- Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan 250012, China
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Sun HT, Fan XR, Gu YZ, Lu YH, Qiu JL, Yang QL, Li JH, Gu J, Hao C. WeChat-based HIV E-report, A New Manner for HIV Serostatus Request and Disclosure and Their Associated Factors Among Men Who Have Sex with Men: Prospective Subgroup Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trails (Preprint). JMIR Mhealth Uhealth 2022; 11:e44513. [PMID: 37155223 DOI: 10.2196/44513] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2022] [Revised: 03/27/2023] [Accepted: 03/30/2023] [Indexed: 04/03/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Requesting and disclosing HIV serostatus is associated with a reduction in HIV transmission among men who have sex with men (MSM). However, the reliability of common methods for HIV serostatus requests and disclosure is unsatisfactory. Validated approaches for requesting and disclosing HIV serostatus are necessary. OBJECTIVE The objective of this study was to investigate the use of the HIV e-report as authentic evidence of HIV serostatus among the MSM community in Guangzhou, China. Additionally, the study aimed to explore its correlates with HIV serostatus requesting and disclosure receiving behavior. METHODS This study is a subgroup analysis of a cluster randomized controlled trial (RCT) that enrolled 357 participants during the first year. Participants in this RCT were recruited from the WeChat-based HIV testing service miniprogram developed by Guangzhou Center for Disease Control and Prevention, China. Participants completed web-based questionnaires at baseline and at the month 3 follow-up, which covered sociodemographic characteristics, HIV-related information, HIV serostatus requests, HIV serostatus disclosure receiving, and HIV e-report usage. Univariate and multivariate logistic regressions were used for data analysis. RESULTS The WeChat-based HIV e-report was available in Guangzhou when the RCT project started. At the month 3 follow-up, 32.2% (115/357) of participants had their own HIV e-reports, and 37.8% (135/357) of them had received others' HIV e-reports. For HIV serostatus requests, 13.1% (27/205) and 10.5% (16/153) of participants started to use HIV e-reports to ask the HIV serostatus of regular and casual male sex partners, respectively. Of the regular and casual male sex partners, 27.3% (42/154) and 16.5% (18/109), respectively, chose HIV e-reports to disclose HIV serostatus. Compared to MSM who did not have HIV e-reports, those who said, "I had had my own HIV e-report(s) but hadn't sent to others" (multivariate odds ratio 2.71, 95% CI 1.19-6.86; P=.02) and "I had had my own HIV e-reports and had sent to others" (multivariate odds ratio 2.67, 95% CI 1.07-7.73; P=.048) were more likely to request HIV serostatus from their partners. Whereas no factor was associated with HIV serostatus disclosure received from partners. CONCLUSIONS The HIV e-report has been accepted by the MSM community in Guangzhou and could be applied as a new optional way for HIV serostatus request and disclosure. This innovative intervention could be effective in promoting infectious disease serostatus disclosure among the related high-risk population. TRIAL REGISTRATION ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03984136; https://clinicaltrials.gov/show/NCT03984136. INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID) RR2-10.1186/s12879-021-06484-y.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hai-Tong Sun
- Department of Medical Statistics, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China
- Sun Yat‑Sen Global Health Institute, Institute of State Governance, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xiao-Ru Fan
- Department of Medical Statistics, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China
- Sun Yat‑Sen Global Health Institute, Institute of State Governance, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yu-Zhou Gu
- Guangzhou Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yong-Heng Lu
- Lingnan Community Support Center, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jia-Ling Qiu
- Department of Medical Statistics, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China
- Sun Yat‑Sen Global Health Institute, Institute of State Governance, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Qing-Ling Yang
- Department of Medical Statistics, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China
- Sun Yat‑Sen Global Health Institute, Institute of State Governance, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jing-Hua Li
- Department of Medical Statistics, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China
- Sun Yat‑Sen Global Health Institute, Institute of State Governance, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jing Gu
- Department of Medical Statistics, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China
- Sun Yat‑Sen Global Health Institute, Institute of State Governance, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Chun Hao
- Department of Medical Statistics, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China
- Sun Yat‑Sen Global Health Institute, Institute of State Governance, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China
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Budzyńska J, Patryn R, Kozioł I, Leśniewska M, Kopystecka A, Skubel T. Self-Testing as a Hope to Reduce HIV in Transgender Women—Literature Review. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:ijerph19159331. [PMID: 35954695 PMCID: PMC9368376 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph19159331] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2022] [Revised: 07/24/2022] [Accepted: 07/28/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
So far, the rate of HIV-positive people who do not know their sero-status is about 14% and the percentage is higher among transgender women (TGW). They represent one of the most vulnerable groups to infection. HIV self-testing (HIVST) may be a way to reduce transmission of the virus. The aim of this analysis and in-depth review was to collect available data on factors that may influence the use and dissemination of HIVST among TGW. This review was conducted in accordance with PRISMA guidelines for systematic reviews and meta-analyses. All data from 48 papers were used. From the available literature, HIVST is a convenient and preferred method of testing due to its high confidentiality and possibility of being performed at home. However, there are barriers that limit its use, including marginalization of transgender people, stigma by medical personnel, lack of acceptance of sexual partners, and even cultural standards. Therefore, there is a need for activities that promote and inform on the possibility of using HIVST as well as enable easier access to it.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia Budzyńska
- Students’ Scientific Group on Medical Law, Department of Humanities and Social Medicine, Medical University of Lublin, 20-059 Lublin, Poland; (I.K.); (M.L.); (A.K.); (T.S.)
- Correspondence:
| | - Rafał Patryn
- Department of Humanities and Social Medicine, Medical University of Lublin, 20-059 Lublin, Poland;
| | - Ilona Kozioł
- Students’ Scientific Group on Medical Law, Department of Humanities and Social Medicine, Medical University of Lublin, 20-059 Lublin, Poland; (I.K.); (M.L.); (A.K.); (T.S.)
| | - Magdalena Leśniewska
- Students’ Scientific Group on Medical Law, Department of Humanities and Social Medicine, Medical University of Lublin, 20-059 Lublin, Poland; (I.K.); (M.L.); (A.K.); (T.S.)
| | - Agnieszka Kopystecka
- Students’ Scientific Group on Medical Law, Department of Humanities and Social Medicine, Medical University of Lublin, 20-059 Lublin, Poland; (I.K.); (M.L.); (A.K.); (T.S.)
| | - Tomasz Skubel
- Students’ Scientific Group on Medical Law, Department of Humanities and Social Medicine, Medical University of Lublin, 20-059 Lublin, Poland; (I.K.); (M.L.); (A.K.); (T.S.)
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