Determinants of the intention to participate in a programme of plasma donation for fractionation among men who have sex with men.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Several approaches are currently under study to contribute to efforts to allow men who have sex with men (MSM) to donate blood. One of these approaches involves implementing a programme of plasma donation for fractionation, with a quarantine period. The goal of this article is to identify the determinants of intention to participate in the plasma donation programme among MSM in Montreal, Canada. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Based on the theory of planned behaviour, a questionnaire was developed to measure MSM's intention to donate plasma and identify influencing factors. A multiple linear regression analysis was conducted to identify the determinants of intention to donate plasma. RESULTS: Respondents' (N = 933) intention to donate plasma in the next six months was moderate. The multiple linear regression model explained 55% (P < 0·001) of the variation of intention. Intention was predicted by attitudes (ß = 0·34, P < 0·001), perceived behavioural control (ß = 0·28, P < 0·001), aged under 35 years (ß = 0·26, P < 0·001), history of blood donation (ß = 0·24, P < 0·001), subjective norm (ß = 0·21, P < 0·001), income above $40,000 (ß = 0·20, P < 0·001), moral norm (ß = 0·18, P < 0·001) and higher level of involvement in various issues LGBTQ+ communities are fighting for (ß = 0·09, P < 0·001). CONCLUSION: Our analyses show that intention to donate plasma within the proposed programme is associated with personal, social and structural factors, but more strongly predicted by factors related to the theory of planned behaviour. Our results also highlight the importance of involving MSM; community acceptability of the plasma donation programme would probably be higher if MSM felt respected and party to the decisions.

Psychological and Interpersonal Factors Associated with Sexualized Drug Use Among Men Who Have Sex with Men: A Mixed-Methods Systematic Review.

Chemsex-the use of specific drugs during planned sexual activity to sustain or enhance sexual functioning (Bourne et al., 2015)-is widely reported as a major public health issue among gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (GBM) in Western countries. Considering current evidence surrounding Chemsex, we conducted a mixed-methods systematic review regarding psychological and interpersonal factors associated with Chemsex behaviors among GBM. Publications covering Chemsex and psychological or social variables were eligible. Theoretical papers and studies solely presenting physical health outcomes were excluded. 35 English papers published between January 2008 and June 2019 were identified through PubMed, Scopus, and PsycINFO. We performed a parallel-results convergent synthesis (Hong, Pluye, Bujold, & Wassef, 2017) on results extracted from qualitative and quantitative studies comprising the final corpus. Qualitative data suggest that six mechanisms promote Chemsex-related behaviors: dealing with painful emotions or stressful events; normalization and risk minimization of sexualized drug use; giving into interpersonal pressure or fulfilling desire for community belonging; increasing intimacy or connectedness; enhancing sexual performance and functioning; lessening interpersonal and sexual inhibitions. In quantitative reports, six variable categories emerged: sexual control and self-efficacy; sexual functioning; mental health; attitudes toward substance use; life stressors and internalized stressors; and identification with sexual identities or scenes. This review summarizes key psychological and interpersonal correlates of Chemsex among GBM. Further research is needed to replicate current findings and explore new hypotheses across multiple GBM sociodemographic groups and cultural contexts, following best practices in sampling for hard-to-reach populations.