Factors Associated with Low Levels of HIV Testing among Men Who Have Sex with Men (MSM) in Brazil.
Where this comes from
- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 26098559.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1371/journal.pone.0130445 and PMC identifier 4476690.
- Licence recorded as CC BY.
- The licence permits redistribution, so the abstract is shown in full and the full text is available from the publisher.
Abstract
The aim of this study was to assess risk factors associated with low levels of HIV testing among MSM recruited through respondent driven sampling (RDS) in Brazil. Of 3,617 participants, 48.4% had never tested previously for HIV. A logistic model indicated that younger age, lower socioeconomic class, education, poor HIV/AIDS knowledge, no history of cruising, and having been tested during the study were characteristics independently associated with low levels of previous HIV testing. The HIV testing rate among MSM in Brazil is still low in spite of the availability of a large number services providing universal and free access to HIV/AIDS diagnosis and treatment. To respond to low utilization, the authors propose a higher priority for testing for key populations such as MSM, expanded education, expanding testing sites and a welcoming and nonjudgmental environment in health services.
Medical subject headings
- AIDS Serodiagnosis
- Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome
- Homosexuality, Male