| Literature DB >> 28143465 |
Susanne Strömdahl1, Fredrik Liljeros2, Anna Ekéus Thorson3, Kristina Ingemarsdotter Persson3, Birger C Forsberg3.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: There is an increasing trend toward international migration worldwide. With it comes a challenge for public health and public funded health care systems to meet the migrating population's health needs. Men who have sex with men are a key population for HIV, contributing an estimated 42% of new HIV cases in Europe in 2013. HIV monitoring data suggest that foreign-born MSM are not only exposed to a high risk of HIV before migration but also while living in Sweden. The aim of this study is to examine HIV testing prevalence and uptake of HIV prevention interventions among foreign-born MSM living in Sweden.Entities:
Mesh:
Year: 2017 PMID: 28143465 PMCID: PMC5282625 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-016-3992-y
Source DB: PubMed Journal: BMC Public Health ISSN: 1471-2458 Impact factor: 3.295
Sociodemographic characteristics, sexual orientation and behaviour among participants
| Variable | Mean/Median or Percentage | N | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age | 38/36 (16–73) | 243 | |
| Residential area | Stockholm region | 26.7% | 64/240 |
| Gothenburg region | 12.5% | 30/240 | |
| Malmö region | 11.3% | 27/240 | |
| City with >10 000 inhabitants | 37.1% | 89/240 | |
| Town or rural region with <10 000 inhabitants | 12.5% | 30/240 | |
| Education | Not completed primary or lower-secondary level education | 1.2% | 3/244 |
| Primary or lower-secondary level education | 3.7% | 9/244 | |
| Upper-secondary education level or vocational training | 38.5% | 94/244 | |
| University education | 56.6% | 138/244 | |
| Occupation | Employed | 68.3% | 166/243 |
| Student | 15.6% | 38/243 | |
| Unemployed | 6.2% | 15/243 | |
| Retired | 4.9% | 12/243 | |
| Long-term sick leave | 4.9% | 12/243 | |
| Years lived in Sweden | 18/15 (0–58) | 241 | |
| Years lived in Sweden by group | 0-5 | 27.8% | 67/241 |
| >5-10 | 14.1% | 34/241 | |
| >10-15 | 7.9% | 19/241 | |
| >15-58 | 50.2% | 121/241 | |
| Citizenship status | Swedish citizenship | 56.6% | 137/242 |
| Permanent residence permit | 25.2% | 61/242 | |
| European citizenship | 1.2% | 3/242 | |
| Nordic citizenship | 1.7% | 4/242 | |
| Work permit/Student visa | 8.7% | 21/242 | |
| On-going asylum process | 0.4% | 1/242 | |
| Other | 1.7% | 4/242 | |
| Do not want to answer | 4.5% | 11/242 | |
| Reasons for moving to Sweden | To work | 22.5% | 49/218 |
| To study | 17.4% | 38/218 | |
| To be with partner/spouse/cohabitant | 15.6% | 34/218 | |
| To be with relatives | 23.9% | 52/218 | |
| To seek asylum | 20.6% | 45/218 | |
| Region of birth | Africa | 1.2% | 3/244 |
| Asia | 20.1% | 49/244 | |
| Europe except Sweden | 58.2% | 142/244 | |
| North & Central America | 9.4% | 23/244 | |
| Oceania | 0 | 0/244 | |
| South America | 11.1% | 27/244 | |
| Sexual orientation | Homosexual | 63.9% | 156/244 |
| Bisexual | 22.5% | 55/244 | |
| Heterosexual | 2.5% | 6/244 | |
| No category/Other | 10.2% | 25/244 | |
| Don't know | 0.8% | 2/244 | |
| Relationship with | No one | 49.6% | 120/242 |
| Man | 34.4% | 84/242 | |
| Woman | 9.4% | 23/242 | |
| Several persons of which at least one is a man | 6.2% | 15/242 | |
| No. of sexual partners last 12 months | 8.8/3 (0–100) | 200 | |
| Having had unprotected sex with men and women last 12 months | 9.2% | 22/240 | |
| No. of casual male sex partners for UAI last 12 months | 2,5/0 (0–100) | 193 | |
| Member of LGBTI organisation | 36.5% | 80/219 |
HIV/STI testing experience among participants
| Variable | Percentage | N | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Most recent HIV test | Last 12 months | 45.4% | 104/229 |
| >12 months | 32.8% | 75/229 | |
| Never | 19.7% | 45/229 | |
| Don’t remember | 2.2% | 5/229 | |
| Self-reported HIV status | Living with HIV | 3.9% | 9/228 |
| Negative | 84.2% | 192/228 | |
| Uncertain | 10.5% | 24/228 | |
| Don’t want to answer | 1.0% | 3/228 | |
| Don't know where to get tested for HIV on short notice | 17.1% | 37/217 | |
| Reasons for not testing among those never tested for HIV | I believe that I have not taken any risks | 51.1% | 23/45 |
| I don’t know where to get tested | 22.2% | 10/45 | |
| I’m living in a monogamous relationship | 20.0% | 9/45 | |
| I’m afraid I will feel like a failure if I have HIV | 20.0% | 9/45 | |
| I’m afraid that staff or other visitors to the clinic will recognize me | 15.6% | 7/45 | |
| I’m afraid I will become ill | 15.6% | 7/45 | |
| Due to the rules in the Swedish Communicable Disease Act | 15.6% | 7/45 | |
| I’m afraid I will lose family and friends | 13.3% | 6/45 | |
| I don’t trust confidentiality in the healthcare system | 11.1% | 5/45 | |
| I don’t want to know my HIV status | 11.1% | 5/45 | |
| I’m afraid the test results would have a negative influence on my sex life | 11.1% | 5/45 | |
| Due to how the Swedish penal code is applied to HIV | 8.9% | 4/45 | |
| I’m afraid I will lose my partner | 8.9% | 4/45 | |
| It’s difficult for me to get to a clinic | 6.7% | 3/45 | |
| I’m afraid the test results would affect my chances of staying in Sweden | 4.4% | 2/45 | |
| I’m afraid I will lose my job | 2.2% | 1/45 | |
| There is no cure for HIV, so I see no point in getting tested | 2.2% | 1/45 | |
| I have been denied an HIV test by health personnel, even though I wanted to get tested | 2.2% | 1/45 | |
| Most recent STI test | Last 12 months | 37.0% | 84/227 |
| >12 months | 26.9% | 61/227 | |
| Never | 33.0% | 75/227 | |
| Don’t remember | 3.1% | 7/227 | |
| Self-reported STI diagnoses last 12 months | Chlamydia | 6.3% | 9/144 |
| Gonorrhoea | 4.2% | 6/144 | |
| Syphilis | 0.7% | 1/144 | |
| Condyloma/HPV | 0.7% | 1/144 | |
| Hep A | 0.7% | 1/144 | |
| Hep B | 0.7% | 1/144 | |
| Mycoplasma | 0.7% | 1/144 | |
| Hepatitis C | 0 | 0/144 | |
| Genital herpes | 0 | 0/144 | |
| Lymphogranuloma venereum | 0 | 0/144 | |
| No STI | 88.9% | 128/144 | |
| Don't know | 1.4% | 2/144 |
Fig. 1Participants’ experience of having been tested for HIV during the last 12 months in relation to how long they have lived in Sweden
Fig. 2Participants’ experience of having been tested for HIV during the past 12 months in relation to their age
Fig. 3Experience of HIV and STI testing during the past 12 months among participants
Associations with HIV testing during last 12 months among participants
| Variable | HIV test during last 12 months | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Univariate OR (95%CI) | Multivariate OR (95%CI) | ||
| Age | <25 | 0.85 (0.40–1.83) | |
| 25-40 | 1.53 (0.91–2.59) | ||
| <40 | 0.69 (0.40–1.18) | ||
| Tertiary education vs. lower | 1.59 (0.94–2.70) | ||
| Occupation | Employed | 0.95 (0.70–1.30) | |
| Unemployed | 0.70 (0.24–2.06) | ||
| Long-term sick-leave | 0.45 (0.11–1.81) | ||
| Student | 0.74 (0.35–1.56) | ||
| Retired | 0.53 (0.15–1.82) | ||
| Years lived in Sweden < =5 years vs. >5 years | 1.87 (1.04–3.36)* | 2.12 (1.07–.4.18)* | |
| Seeking asylum as reason for coming to Sweden vs. other reasons for migration | 1.18 (0.59–2.38) | ||
| Having had UAI with casual partner in the past 12 months vs. not | 0.75 (0.41–1.38) | ||
| Single vs. being in a relationship | 0.85 (0.50–1.43) | ||
| Having had unprotected sex with men and women during last 12 months vs. only men | 0.88 (0.34–2.28) | ||
| Knowledge of where to get tested for HIV on short notice vs. no such knowledge | 2.21 (1.03–4.74)* | 2.01 (0.88–4.80) | |
| LGBTI organization member vs. not | 0.76 (0.36–1.59) | ||
| Talked about HIV/STI with a prevention worker during last 12 months vs. not | 5.33 (2.94–9.65)* | 4.6 (2.28– | |
| Received free condoms during last 12 months vs. not | 2.23 (1.30-3.82)* | 1.46 (0.77-2.76) | |
| Read online about STI/HIV during last 12 months vs. not | 2.56 (1.42-4.60)* | 1.73 (0.81-3.70) | |
| Read printed information about HIV/STI during last 12 months vs. not | 1.86 (1.09-3.19)* | 0.71 (0.33-1.51) | |
* p-value <0.05