Abstract
BackgroundDespite efforts to stop HIV epidemic in Latin America, new HIV cases continue to increase in the region especially among young MSM (YMSM). This study aims to assess if sociodemographic characteristics are associated with self-reported HIV positive status among YMSM from three Latin American countries.MethodsCross-sectional web-based survey advertised on dating apps (Grindr and Hornet) and Facebook in Brazil, Mexico and Peru. For this analysis, we included YMSM aged 18–24 years who self-reported their HIV status. We used multivariable logistic regression models for each country separately to verify if sociodemographic characteristics (race, education and income) were associated with HIV self-reported status after adjusting for behavior characteristics (sexual attraction and steady partner).ResultsAmong 43,687 MSM who initiated the questionnaire, 27,318 (62.5%) reported their HIV status; 7001 (25.6%) of whom were YMSM. Most YMSM (83.4%) reported an HIV test in the past year, and 15.7% reported an HIV positive status in Peru, 8.4% in Mexico and 7.7% in Brazil. In adjusted models, low-income was associated with higher odds of self-reported HIV positive status in Brazil (aOR = 1.33, 95%CI: 1.01–1.75) and Peru (aOR = 1.56, 95%CI: 1.02–2.40), but not in Mexico. Lower education was associated with higher odds of self-reported HIV positive status only in Brazil (aOR = 1.35, 95%CI: 1.05–1.75).ConclusionsIn this large, cross-country study, self-reported HIV positive status among YMSM was high. Lower socioeconomic status was associated with higher odds of self-reported HIV positive status in Brazil and Peru. There is an urgent need for HIV prevention interventions targeting YMSM, and efforts to address low-income YMSM are especially needed in Peru and Brazil.
Highlights
Despite efforts to stop Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) epidemic in Latin America, new HIV cases continue to increase in the region especially among young men who have sex with men (MSM) (YMSM)
Primary analyses of this study have evaluated the factors associated with awareness and willingness to use pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) among MSM self-reporting HIV negative or unknown status [27, 37]
The overall self-reported HIV positive status among young MSM (YMSM) was 8.9%, being higher in Peru (15.7%; [95% Confidence interval (CI): 13.5–18.2]), followed by Mexico (8.4%; [95% CI: 7.2–9.9]) and Brazil (7.7%; [95% CI: 6.9–8.6])
Summary
Despite efforts to stop HIV epidemic in Latin America, new HIV cases continue to increase in the region especially among young MSM (YMSM). This study aims to assess if sociodemographic characteristics are associated with self-reported HIV positive status among YMSM from three Latin American countries. Latin America is one of the most unequal regions in the world due to historical and structural characteristics of its societies [1]. Mexico and Peru represent more than a half of the overall population (~ 368 million) [2]. Despite being the 9th largest economy by nominal Gross Domestic Product (GDP = US$ 1.9 trillion), Brazil is the 9th most unequal country in the world and the 2nd in the Americas according to GINI index from The World Bank [1, 3]. Social disparities are related to health outcomes [5] and studies to understand these disparities are of utmost importance in the region
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