Associations Between Physical Distancing and Mental Health, Sexual Health and Technology Use Among Gay, Bisexual and Other Men Who Have Sex With Men During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Physical distancing measures, designed to limit the spread of COVID-19, have been implemented globally. We sought to understand how physical distancing impacts gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men (GBMSM), a group disproportionately affected by poor health outcomes. A cross-sectional online survey on Hornet, a networking application (N = 10,079), measured sociodemographics, physical distancing, mental health outcomes, and sexual behavior. Nearly two-thirds of participants (63%) reported only leaving their home for essentials. Those who practiced physical distancing were more likely to feel anxious (aOR = 1.37), feel lonely (aOR = 1.36), to report their sex life being impacted (aOR = 2.95), and less likely to be satisfied with their current sex life (aOR = 0.76). Those who practiced physical distancing were more likely to use social technologies to stay in touch with others. Risk reduction and telehealth opportunities may alleviate health challenges for GBMSM in the COVID-19 era.

Misclassification of sexual health risks in a self-identified low risk cohort of men who have sex with men (MSM) enrolled in a community based PrEP program.

The CDC recommends PrEP for MSM at substantial risk of HIV acquisition, leaving clinicians unsure whether to prescribe PrEP to MSM who do not disclose HIV risk factors. A longitudinal cohort of MSM requesting PrEP despite reporting during a clinical visit either 100% condom use or participation in oral sex only and no other risk factors was followed over 13 months at a community clinic in San Francisco to assess the accuracy of their HIV risk perception. Participants completed a sexual and substance use behavior questionnaire at baseline, outside of the clinical visit and were followed by quarterly HIV/STI testing and condom use change questionnaires. Condomless sex increased from 0% at baseline to 12% at month 1, peaked at 34% at month 7, and then decreased again to 8% at month 13. Rates of pharyngeal GC/CT varied from 7% at baseline to 12% at month 13, while rectal GC/CT decreased from 6% at baseline to 0% at month 13. The rate of syphilis was 1% both at baseline and at month 13, however, 11% and 15% of clients tested positive for syphilis at months 1 and 7 respectively.

Sexual mixing and the risk environment of sexually active transgender women: data from a respondent-driven sampling study of HIV risk among transwomen in San Francisco, 2010.

BACKGROUND: Research on the sexual networks of transwomen is central to explaining higher HIV risk for this population. This study examined HIV risk behaviors and sexual mixing patterns of transwomen by demographic and HIV-related risk behaviors. METHODS: Data were obtained from a 2010 study of HIV risk for transwomen in San Francisco. Assortativity by race, partner type, HIV serostatus, and IDU across sexual networks was calculated using Newman's assortativity coefficient (NC). Multivariable generalized estimating equations (GEE) logistic regression models were used to evaluate associations between unprotected anal intercourse with race and HIV serostatus, partner-IDU status and relationship type discordance while adjusting for the HIV status of transwomen. RESULTS: There were 235 sexually active transwomen in this study, of whom 104 (44.3%) were HIV-positive and 73 (31.1%) had a history of injection drug use. Within the 575 partnerships, African American/black and Latina transwomen were the most racially assortative (NC 0.40, 95% CI 0.34-0.45, and NC 0.43, 95% CI 0.38-0.49, respectively). In partnerships where the partner's HIV status was known (n = 309, 53.7%), most transwomen were in sexual partnerships with people of their same known serostatus (71.8%, n = 222). In multivariable analyses, unprotected anal intercourse was significantly associated with primary partners, having a sexual partner who was an injection drug user, and sexual partner seroconcordance. CONCLUSIONS: Public health efforts to reduce transwomen's HIV risk would likely benefit from prioritizing prevention efforts to risk reduction within IDU-discordant and primary partnerships, determining risks attributable to sexual network characteristics, and actively addressing injection drug use among transwomen.