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Injection and Heterosexual Risk Behaviors for HIV Infection Among Non-gay Identifying Men Who Have Sex with Men and Women

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Abstract

Non-gay identifying men who have sex with men and women (MSMW) are an important subgroup of men who have sex with men (MSM) and have been underrepresented in studies of MSM that only use gay venues to draw their samples. We assessed heterosexual and drug use risks of MSMW who use drugs in a sample of male entrants to the Mount Sinai Beth Israel drug treatment programs from 2005 to 2018. Blood samples were collected and tested for HIV and HSV-2 infections. Among HIV seronegative participants, MSMW had significantly greater odds of sharing used needles with others, and reporting unprotected sex with female casual partners and female commercial sex partners, compared to their counterparts who reported sex with women exclusively (MSWE). Although not recruited from gay venues, MSMW had a significantly higher HIV prevalence than MSWE (23% vs. 10%, p < 0.001). Interventions that are specifically tailored to HIV prevention among MSMW are needed to ameliorate the prevalence of HIV risks and infection.

Resumen

Los hombres que no se que identifican como gay y que tienen sexo con hombres y mujeres (HSHM) son una importante subgrupo de hombres que tienen sexo con hombres (HSH) y han sido subrepresentados en estudios de HSH que solo usan lugares gay para extraer sus muestras. Evaluamos los riesgos heterosexuales y de uso de drogas de los HSHM que usan drogas en una muestra de hombres participantes en los programas de tratamiento de drogas en Mount Sinai Beth Israel desde 2005 hasta 2018. Se recogieron muestras de sangre y se analizaron infecciones por VIH y VHS-2. Entre el VIH participantes seronegativos, HSHM tuvo significativamente mayores probabilidades de compartir utilizados agujas con otros, y reportar relaciones sexuales sin protección con parejas ocasionales y parejas sexuales comerciales femeninas, en comparación con sus contrapartes que informaron haber tenido relaciones sexuales exclusivamente con mujeres (HSEM). Aunque no fue reclutado de lugares gay, HSHM tuvo un prevalencia del VIH significativamente mayor que la HSEM (23% frente a 10%, p <0,001). Intervenciones que se adaptan específicamente a la prevención del VIH entre los HSHM son necesarios para mejorar la prevalencia de los riesgos y la infección de VIH.

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Acknowledgments

This research was supported by R01DA003574, and R01DA0357407 from the US National Institute on Drug Abuse. The funding agency had no role in the design, conduct, data analysis or report preparation for the study.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Epidemiology, New York University, New York, NY, USA

    Kamyar Arasteh & Courtney McKnight

  2. Department of Epidemiology, New York University, 665 Broadway, Suite 800, New York, NY, 10012, USA

    Kamyar Arasteh

  3. Departments of Epidemiology, and Social and Behavioral Sciences, New York University, New York, NY, USA

    Don C. Des Jarlais

  4. Department of Psychiatry, Mount Sinai Beth Israel, New York, NY, USA

    Jonathan Feelemyer

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  1. Kamyar Arasteh
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  2. Don C. Des Jarlais
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Correspondence to Kamyar Arasteh.

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All Authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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This study, including the procedure for obtaining informed consent, was approved by the Mount Sinai Beth Israel Institutional Review Board.

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Arasteh, K., Des Jarlais, D.C., McKnight, C. et al. Injection and Heterosexual Risk Behaviors for HIV Infection Among Non-gay Identifying Men Who Have Sex with Men and Women. AIDS Behav 23, 3315–3323 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10461-019-02551-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10461-019-02551-3

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