Health care access and sexually transmitted infection screening frequency among at-risk Massachusetts men who have sex with men.

Abstract

We sought to assess risk exposures, health care access, and screening rates for HIV and sexually transmitted infections (STIs) among men who have sex with men (MSM) in Massachusetts. We used a modified respondent-driven sampling method to collect data between March 2006 and May 2007. Overall, 126 MSM completed a survey. Seventy percent of participants reported unprotected receptive anal intercourse with at least 1 nonmonogamous male partner; 50% reported having had a previous STI. Although 98% had visited a health care provider in the previous year, 39% had not been screened for STIs during the previous 2 years. Bisexual respondents were less likely to have told their health care providers that they engage in male-to-male sexual contact (OR = 4.66; P < .001), less likely to have been tested for STIs during in the previous 2 years (OR = 6.91; P < .001), and more likely to engage in insertive anal intercourse without a condom with an HIV-infected partner (OR = 5.04; P < .005) than were non-bisexual respondents. Clinicians need to assess sexual risk-taking behaviors and more routinely screen for STIs among sexually active men regardless of disclosure of a history of having sex with men.