HIV Prevalence and Awareness of Positive Serostatus Among Men Who Have Sex With Men and Transgender Women in Bogotá, Colombia.

Abstract

We estimated HIV prevalence among men who have sex with men (MSM) and transgender women in Bogotá, Colombia, and explored differences between HIV-positive individuals who are aware and unaware of their serostatus. In this cross-sectional 2011 study, we used respondent-driven sampling (RDS) to recruit 1000 MSM and transgender women, who completed a computerized questionnaire and received an HIV test. The RDS-adjusted prevalence was 12.1% (95% confidence interval [CI] = 8.7, 15.8), comparable to a previous RDS-derived estimate. Among HIV-positive participants, 39.7% (95% CI = 25.0, 54.8) were aware of their serostatus and 60.3% (95% CI = 45.2, 75.5) were unaware before this study. HIV-positive-unaware individuals were more likely to report inadequate insurance coverage, exchange sex (i.e., sexual intercourse in exchange for money, goods, or services), and substance use than other participants. HIV-positive-aware participants were least likely to have had condomless anal intercourse in the previous 3 months. Regardless of awareness, HIV-positive participants reported more violence and forced relocation experiences than HIV-negative participants. There is an urgent need to increase HIV detection among MSM and transgender women in Bogotá. HIV-positive-unaware group characteristics suggest an important role for structural, social, and individual interventions.