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Original research
Factors associated with low levels of HIV testing among young men who have sex with men (MSM) participating in EMIS-2017 in Spain
  1. Nuria Gallego1,2,
  2. Asuncion Diaz1,3,
  3. Cinta Folch4,5,
  4. Sebastian Meyer6,
  5. Maria Vazquez7,
  6. Jordi Casabona4,5,
  7. Victoria Hernando1,3
  1. 1 National Center for Epidemiology, Carlos III Health Institute, Madrid, Spain
  2. 2 Master of Science in Public Health, Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
  3. 3 CIBER of Infectious Diseases (CIBERINFEC), Madrid, Spain
  4. 4 Centre d'Estudis Epidemiològics sobre les Infeccions de Transmissió Sexual i Sida de Catalunya (CEEISCAT), Institut Català d'Oncologia, Badalona, Spain
  5. 5 CIBER of Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain
  6. 6 Stop Sida, Barcelona, Spain
  7. 7 National AIDS Plan Secretariat, Ministry of Health, Madrid, Spain
  1. Correspondence to Dr Victoria Hernando, National Centre of Epidemiology, Carlos III Health Institute, Madrid, Spain; vhernando{at}isciii.es

Abstract

Purpose The European Men who have sex with men Internet Survey looked over the characteristics and needs of men who have sex with men (MSM) across Europe. Our objective was to estimate the prevalence of HIV testing and its associated factors among MSM younger than 25 years old participating in the EMIS-2017 in Spain.

Methods Multivariable regression model was used to compare those who had been tested for HIV within the last 12 months and those that had not.

Results Of 2313 participants, 1070 (46.3%) had been tested for HIV in the past 12 months. Increased age (age 19–21 years, aOR=3.38 (95% CI 2.57 to 4.44); age 22–24 years, aOR=5.26 (4.06 to 6.92) compared with age 16–18 years); being migrant (Latin America: aOR=1.34 (0.98 to 1.84); Europe, North America and Mediterranean countries (aOR=1.56 (0.98 to 2.51) compared with those from Spain); living more openly with one’s sexuality (out to some people (aOR=1.53 (1.19 to 1.96)); out to all or almost all people (aOR=2.24 (1.75 to 2.87) compared with those out to none or a few people); having had one condomless steady partners in the las year ((aOR=1.59 (1.26 to 2.02)); having had condomless non-steady partners in the last year (one: aOR=1.76 (1.35 to 2.29)); two or more partners: aOR=2.37 (1.84 to 3.04)); and having practised sex work in the past year (aOR=1.52 (1.07 to 2.13)) were associated with increased odds of HIV testing. Living in a smaller city was associated with less likelihood of HIV testing (<1 00 000 inhabitants: aOR=0.51 (95% CI 0.41 to 0.64); 100 000–500 000: aOR=0.68 (95% CI 0.54 to 0.86) compared with more than 500 000).

Conclusion Young MSM showed low HIV testing rate. Future programming specifically targeting this population, especially those middle adolescents, living in a medium-small city and having less ‘outness’, can help increase HIV testing and prevent access barriers.

  • HIV
  • diagnosis
  • homosexuality
  • male

Data availability statement

Data are available on reasonable request.

https://doi.org/10.1136/sextrans-2021-055193

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    Data availability statement

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    Footnotes

    • Handling editor Sevgi O Aral

    • Contributors All authors have made substantial contributions to the work, have drafted the work or revised it critically for important intellectual content and have approved the final version of the manuscript.

    • Funding EMIS-2017 was carried out as part of ESTICOM, under service contract 2015 71 01 with The Consumers, Health, Agriculture and Food Executive Agency (Chafea), acting under powers delegated by the Commission of the European Union. The contract arises from Call for Tender No. Chafea/2015/Health/38.

    • Competing interests None declared.

    • Provenance and peer review Not commissioned; externally peer reviewed.

    • Supplemental material This content has been supplied by the author(s). It has not been vetted by BMJ Publishing Group Limited (BMJ) and may not have been peer-reviewed. Any opinions or recommendations discussed are solely those of the author(s) and are not endorsed by BMJ. BMJ disclaims all liability and responsibility arising from any reliance placed on the content. Where the content includes any translated material, BMJ does not warrant the accuracy and reliability of the translations (including but not limited to local regulations, clinical guidelines, terminology, drug names and drug dosages), and is not responsible for any error and/or omissions arising from translation and adaptation or otherwise.