BACKGROUND:
Despite
remarkable success in the fight against HIV, HIV prevalence in many countries
remains high among key populations including men who have sex with men (MSM),
and HIV testing rates is relatively low among this hard-to-reach population.
This cross-sectional study explores factors associated with recent HIV testing
among MSM in Cambodia.
METHODS:
This
study was conducted in 2014 and included 384 MSM randomly selected from two
provinces of Battembang and Siem Reap, using a two-stage cluster sampling
method. A structured questionnaire was used for face-to-face interviews to
collect data on socio-demographic characteristics, HIV testing history, sexual
behaviors, HIV testing attitudes, and HIV knowledge. Multivariate logistic
regression analysis was performed to identify factors independently associated
with recent HIV testing.
RESULTS:
Mean age
of the participants was 23.4 (SD = 5.2). Of total, 83.6 % had been tested for
HIV at least once in their lifetime, and 65.1 % had been tested for HIV in the
past six months. After controlling for other covariates, MSM who had been
tested for HIV in the past six months were significantly more likely to regard
themselves as female, have received some form
of HIV education in the past six months,
perceive that they were at higher HIV risk compared to the general population, have been diagnosed with an STI in the past
six months, report using a condom at last
sexual intercourse with a man or woman, and
report using a condom at last sexual intercourse with a boyfriend.
CONCLUSIONS:
This
study highlights the common practices of risky sexual behaviors and relatively
low rate of recent HIV testing among MSM in Cambodia. HIV education and social
marketing should be expanded and tailored for MSM, specifically addressing the
risk of unprotected anal intercourse and the importance of regular HIV testing
for early enrolment in the care and treatment cascade.
Full article at: http://goo.gl/kHeHcB
- 1Research Center, KHANA, No. 33, Street 71, P.O Box 2311-PP3, Phnom Penh, Cambodia. siyan@doctor.com.
- 2Center for Global Health Research, Public Health Program, Touro University California, 1310 Club Drive, Vallejo, CA, 94594, USA. siyan@doctor.com.
- 3Research Center, KHANA, No. 33, Street 71, P.O Box 2311-PP3, Phnom Penh, Cambodia. tsovannary@khana.org.kh.
- 4Research Center, KHANA, No. 33, Street 71, P.O Box 2311-PP3, Phnom Penh, Cambodia. cpheak@khana.org.kh.
- 5Center for Global Health Research, Public Health Program, Touro University California, 1310 Club Drive, Vallejo, CA, 94594, USA. carinne.brody@tu.edu.
- 6Research Center, KHANA, No. 33, Street 71, P.O Box 2311-PP3, Phnom Penh, Cambodia. pkhuondyla@khana.org.kh.
- 7Research Center, KHANA, No. 33, Street 71, P.O Box 2311-PP3, Phnom Penh, Cambodia. osopheap@khana.org.kh.
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