Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Predictors of HIV Risk Behaviors Among a National Sample of Russian Men Who Have Sex with Men

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
AIDS and Behavior Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Russia has one of the fastest growing HIV epidemics in the world and is at the point of transitioning from injection drug use to sexual transmissions. We sought to identify factors associated with unprotected sex among men who have sex with men (MSM) in Russia, separately for Moscow, St. Petersburg and the rest of the country. Multivariable data from a national cross-sectional study (n = 5035) demonstrate that significant correlates of unprotected anal intercourse (UAI) with a non-steady partner across all areas were visiting sex-related venues (AOR range 1.35–1.96) and access to condoms (AOR range 0.37–0.52). In Moscow and St. Petersburg, being HIV-positive was correlated with UAI (AOR 2.13 and 2.69). The dynamics of the HIV epidemic among MSM in Russia appear to be both similar, and different, across various areas and factors associated with unprotected sex should be seen as part of an environment of exogenous factors impacting MSM’s sexual behaviors.

Resumen

El crecimiento de la epidemia del VIH en Rusia es uno de los más rápidos en el mundo y se encuentra en un estado de transición entre las drogas inyectables a las transmisiones sexuales. Buscamos identificar los factores asociados con la práctica del sexo sin protección entre hombres que tienen sexo con hombres (HSH, MSM en inglés) en Rusia, separando a Moscú, San Petersburgo y el resto del país. Los análisis multivariados de una encuesta nacional (n = 5035) demuestran que las correlaciones significativas entre el sexo anal sin protección con pareja no estable en todas las áreas del país fueron la visita a lugares relacionadas con el sexo (rango del ORA 1.35–1.96) y el acceso a los condones (rango del ORA 0.37–0,52). En Moscú y San Petersburgo, el tener un diagnóstico de VIH positivo se correlacionó con el sexo anal sin protección (ORA 2.13–2.69). La dinámica de la epidemia del VIH entre HSH en Rusia parece ser similar, y diferente, entre varias áreas y los factores asociados con la práctica del sexo sin protección deberían ser visto como parte de un ambiente de factores exógenos que impactan los comportamientos sexuales entre HSH.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. UNAIDS. Report on the global AIDS epidemic. Global report. Geneva: 2012. http://www.unaids.org/en/media/unaids/contentassets/documents/epidemiology/2012/gr2012/20121120_UNAIDS_Global_Report_2012_en.pdf. Accessed 25 Feb 2016.

  2. The Barents Euro-Artic Council. The Barents HIV/AIDS program—Joint Working Group on Health and Related Social Issues. Report. 2015.

  3. UNAIDS/WHO. AIDS epidemic update. Global report. Geneva: 2010.

  4. Abdala N, Krasnoselslskikh TV, Durante AJ, et al. Sexually transmitted infections, sexual risk behavior and the risk of heterosexual spread of HIV among and beyond IDUs in St. Petersburg, Russia. Eur Addict Res. 2008;14(1):19–25.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Burchell AN, Calzavara LM, Orekhovsky V, Ladnaya NN. Characterization of an emerging heterosexual HIV epidemic in Russia. Sex Transm Dis. 2008;35(9):807–13.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Pokrovskiy V. HIV epidemic in Russia and neighbouring countries. J Int AIDS Soc. 2014;17(Suppl 3):19502.

    PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  7. Ministry of Health and Social Development of the Russian Federation. Country progress report of the Russian Federation on the implementation of the declaration of commitment on HIV/AIDS. Moscow: 2008.

  8. UNAIDS/WHO. AIDS epidemic update. Eastern Europe and Central Asia. Geneva: 2009.

  9. Wirtz AL, Zelaya CE, Peryshkina A, et al. Anal human papillomavirus and HIV: a cross-sectional study among men who have sex with men in Moscow, Russia, 2012–2013. Euro Surveill. 2015;20(15) (pii = 21095).

  10. Dukhovlina E, Masharsky A, Toussova O, et al. Two independent HIV epidemics in Saint Petersburg, Russia revealed by molecular epidemiology. AIDS Res Hum Retroviruses. 2015;31(6):608–14.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. USAID. Men having sex with men in Eastern Europe: Implications of a hidden epidemic. Regional analysis report. USAID, USA; 2010.

  12. Amirkhanian YA, Kelly JA, Takacs J, et al. HIV/STD prevalence, risk behaviour, and substance use patterns and predictors in Russian and Hungarian sociocentric social networks of men who have sex with men. AIDS Educ Prev. 2009;21(3):266–79.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  13. Amirkhanian YA, Kelly JA, Kukharsky AA, et al. Predictors of HIV risk behavior among Russian men who have sex with men: an emerging epidemic. AIDS. 2001;15(3):407–12.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. Wirtz AL, Zelaya CE, Peryshkina A, et al. Social and structural risks for HIV among migrant and immigrant men who have sex with men in Moscow, Russia: implications for prevention. AIDS Care. 2014;26(3):387–95.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  15. Baral S, Sifakis F, Peryskina A, et al. Risks for HIV infection among gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men in Moscow and St. Petersburg, Russia. AIDS Res Hum Retrovir. 2012;28(8):874–9.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  16. Wirtz AL, Zelaya CE, Latkin C, et al. The HIV care continuum among men who have sex with men in Moscow, Russia: a cross-sectional study of infection awareness and engagement in care. Sex Transm Infect. 2016;92(2):161–7.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  17. Baral S, Kizub D, Masenior NF, et al. Male sex workers in Moscow, Russia: a pilot study of demographics, substance use patterns, and prevalence of HIV-1 and sexually transmitted infections. AIDS Care. 2010;22(1):112–8.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  18. Scott-Sheldon LA, Carey MP, Vanable PA, et al. Alcohol consumption, drug use, and condom use among STD clinic patients. J Stud Alcohol Drugs. 2009;70(5):762–70.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  19. Blanchard JF, Kang H, Emmanuel F, Paul SR. AIDS in South Asia: understanding and responding to a heterogenous epidemic. Washington D.C.: World Bank Publications; 2006.

    Google Scholar 

  20. Weatherburn P, Schmidt AJ, Hickson F, et al. The European men-who-have-sex-with-men Internet Survey (EMIS): design and methods. Sex Res Soc Policy. 2013;10(4):243–57.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  21. Abdala N, Carney JM, Durante AJ, et al. Estimating the prevalence of syringe-borne and sexually transmitted diseases among injection drug users in St Petersburg, Russia. Int J STD AIDS. 2003;14(10):697–703.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  22. Pinkerton SD, Dyatlov RV, DiFranceisco W, et al. HIV/AIDS knowledge and attitudes of STD clinic attendees in St. Petersburg, Russia. AIDS Behav. 2003;7(3):221–8.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  23. Dolgov A. Russian health officials comment on proposed condom ban. The Moscow Times Aug 5, 2015.

  24. Ostergren JE, Rosser BRS, Horvath KJ. Reasons for non-use of condoms among men-who-have-sex-with-men: a comparison of receptive and insertive role-in-sex and online and offline meeting venue. Cult Health Sex. 2011;13(2):123–40.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  25. ILGA Europe. Russia: gay rights under attack. http://www.ilga-europe.org/resources/news/latest-news/russia-gay-rights-under-attack. Accessed 3 Mar 2016.

  26. Gama A, Abecasis A, Pingarilho M, et al. Cruising venues as a context for HIV risky behavior among men who have sex with men. Arch Sex Behav. 2016;. doi:10.1007/s10508-016-0707-5.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  27. Pollock JA, Halkitis PN. Environmental factors in relation to unprotected sexual behavior among gay, bisexual, and other MSM. AIDS Educ Behav. 2009;21(4):340–55.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  28. Melendez-Torres GJ, Nye E, Bonell C. Is location of sex associated with sexual risk behaviour in men who have sex with men? Systematic review of within-subjects studies. AIDS Behav. 2016;20(6):1219–27.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  29. Peplau LA, Cochrane S, May V. A national survey of the intimate relationships of African-American lesbians and gay men: a look at commitment, satisfaction, sexual behaviour and HIV disease. In: Greene B, editor. Ethnic and cultural diversity among gay men and lesbians. Thousand Oaks: Sage; 1997. p. 11–38.

    Google Scholar 

  30. Crepaz N, Marks G, Liau A, et al. Prevalence of unprotected anal intercourse among HIV-diagnosed MSM in the United States: a meta-analysis. AIDS. 2009;23(13):1617–29.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  31. Gorbach PM, Weiss RE, Jeffries R, et al. Behaviors of recently HIV-infected men who have sex with men in the year postdiagnosis: effects of drug use and partner types. J Acquir Immune Defic Syndr. 2011;56(2):176–82.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  32. Rechel B. HIV/AIDS in the countries of the former Soviet Union: societal and attitudinal challenges. Cent Eur J Public Health. 2010;18:110–5.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  33. Vasquez C, Lioznov D, Nikolaenko S, et al. Gender disparities in HIV risk behavior and access to health care in St. Petersburg, Russia. AIDS Patient Care STDs. 2013;27(5):304–10.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  34. Charina MR, Crepaz N, Guenther-Gray C, et al. Efficacy of structural-level condom distribution interventions: a metaanalysis of US and international studies, 1998–2007. AIDS Behav. 2011;15(7):1283–97.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  35. Ross MW, Månsson SA, Daneback K, Cooper A, Tikkanen R. Biases in Internet sexual health samples: comparison of an Internet sexuality survey and a national sexual health survey in Sweden. Soc Sci Med. 2005;61(1):245–52.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

This study was funded by a Grant of the European Commission under the EU Health Programme 2008–2013. Further funding was received from CEEISCat (Centre d’Estudis Epidemiològics sobre les ITS/HIV/SIDA de Catalunya, Spain); Terrence Higgins Trust (CHAPS) for Department of Health for England; Maastricht University (The Netherlands); Regione del Veneto (Italy); and Robert Koch Institute (Germany). Further funding for the participation of men in specific countries was provided by: German Ministry of Health for Ukraine and Moldova; Finnish Ministry of Health for Finland; Norwegian Institute of Public Health for Norway; Swedish Board of Health and Welfare for Sweden; and Bundeszentrale für gesundheitliche Aufklärung (BZgA) for Germany.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Knowledge Center for the Health Services, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, PO Box 4404, 0403, Nydalen, Oslo, Norway

    Rigmor C. Berg

  2. Department of Community Medicine, University of Tromso, Tromso, Norway

    Rigmor C. Berg & Vegard Skogen

  3. Department of Monitoring and Evaluation, Open Health Institute, Moscow, Russian Federation

    Nailya Vinogradova

  4. Charity Foundation, LaSky Network, Moscow, Russian Federation

    Andrey Beloglazov & Tatiana Kazantseva

Authors
  1. Rigmor C. Berg
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Vegard Skogen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Nailya Vinogradova
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Andrey Beloglazov
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Tatiana Kazantseva
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Rigmor C. Berg.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of interest

The authors declare they have no financial or other conflicts of interest.

Ethical Approval

Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Berg, R.C., Skogen, V., Vinogradova, N. et al. Predictors of HIV Risk Behaviors Among a National Sample of Russian Men Who Have Sex with Men. AIDS Behav 21, 2904–2912 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10461-016-1653-x

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10461-016-1653-x

Keywords

Search

Navigation