Longitudinal event-level sexual risk and substance use among gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men
Longitudinal event-level sexual risk and substance use among gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men
(1) Background: Condomless anal sex and substance use are associated with STI risk among gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (gbMSM). Our first study objective was to describe event-level sexual risk and substance use trends among gbMSM. Our second study objective was to describe substances associated with event-level sexual risk. (2) Methods: Data come from the Momentum Health Study in Vancouver, British Columbia and participants were recruited from 2012–2015, with follow-up until 2018. Stratified by self-reported HIV status, we used generalized estimating equations to assess trends of sexual event-level substance use and assessed interactions between substance use and time period on event-level higher risk sex defined as condomless anal sex with an HIV serodifferent or unknown status partner. (3) Results: Event-level higher risk anal sex increased across the study period among HIV-negative/unknown (baseline prevalence: 13% vs. study end prevalence: 29%) and HIV-positive gbMSM (baseline prevalence: 16% vs. study end prevalence: 38%). Among HIV-negative/unknown gbMSM, event-level erectile drug use increased, while alcohol use decreased over the study period. Overall, interactions between substance use and time on higher risk anal sex were not statistically significant, regardless of serostatus. However, we found a number of time-specific significant interactions for erectile drugs, poppers, Gamma-hydroxybutyrate (GHB), crystal methamphetamine and ecstasy/MDMA use among HIV-negative/unknown gbMSM. (4) Conclusion: Significant differences in substance use trends and associated risks exist and are varied among gbMSM by serostatus. These findings provide a more comprehensive understanding of the effects of event-level substance use on sexual risk through longitudinal follow-up of nearly six years.
Event-level, MSM, STI, Sexual risk, Substance use, Trends
1-14
Sang, Jordan
c9b86700-43d2-43c3-8d02-0a5a57275d16
Cui, Zishan
298721d1-0246-4602-9120-c626eec8b142
Sereda, Paul
7b1e0f3a-2477-4bc7-9f65-910dee84a320
Armstrong, Heather
3dc9c223-1a61-47ad-ab0b-50d06cddf4f2
Olarewaju, Gbolahan
2c3cfb4b-af61-480f-8cd2-84b981cb0b33
Lal, Allan
44cc2469-844b-4841-92e7-6da885da768e
Card, Kiffer George
ec0ab99c-264d-4c24-b847-7df8c988d786
Roth, Eric A.
4900d79c-ac00-475b-8bb9-e96243905ca7
Hogg, Robert S.
3f71ad69-9c8a-4732-bb86-4aa0652e1f3f
Moore, David M.
b3bb7f8f-4409-412e-959b-bcda959a8d2d
Lachowsky, Nathan J.
87634bac-759c-4e7b-9f16-22fb37e87cf6
19 March 2021
Sang, Jordan
c9b86700-43d2-43c3-8d02-0a5a57275d16
Cui, Zishan
298721d1-0246-4602-9120-c626eec8b142
Sereda, Paul
7b1e0f3a-2477-4bc7-9f65-910dee84a320
Armstrong, Heather
3dc9c223-1a61-47ad-ab0b-50d06cddf4f2
Olarewaju, Gbolahan
2c3cfb4b-af61-480f-8cd2-84b981cb0b33
Lal, Allan
44cc2469-844b-4841-92e7-6da885da768e
Card, Kiffer George
ec0ab99c-264d-4c24-b847-7df8c988d786
Roth, Eric A.
4900d79c-ac00-475b-8bb9-e96243905ca7
Hogg, Robert S.
3f71ad69-9c8a-4732-bb86-4aa0652e1f3f
Moore, David M.
b3bb7f8f-4409-412e-959b-bcda959a8d2d
Lachowsky, Nathan J.
87634bac-759c-4e7b-9f16-22fb37e87cf6
Sang, Jordan, Cui, Zishan, Sereda, Paul, Armstrong, Heather, Olarewaju, Gbolahan, Lal, Allan, Card, Kiffer George, Roth, Eric A., Hogg, Robert S., Moore, David M. and Lachowsky, Nathan J.
(2021)
Longitudinal event-level sexual risk and substance use among gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men.
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18 (6), , [3183].
(doi:10.3390/ijerph18063183).
Abstract
(1) Background: Condomless anal sex and substance use are associated with STI risk among gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (gbMSM). Our first study objective was to describe event-level sexual risk and substance use trends among gbMSM. Our second study objective was to describe substances associated with event-level sexual risk. (2) Methods: Data come from the Momentum Health Study in Vancouver, British Columbia and participants were recruited from 2012–2015, with follow-up until 2018. Stratified by self-reported HIV status, we used generalized estimating equations to assess trends of sexual event-level substance use and assessed interactions between substance use and time period on event-level higher risk sex defined as condomless anal sex with an HIV serodifferent or unknown status partner. (3) Results: Event-level higher risk anal sex increased across the study period among HIV-negative/unknown (baseline prevalence: 13% vs. study end prevalence: 29%) and HIV-positive gbMSM (baseline prevalence: 16% vs. study end prevalence: 38%). Among HIV-negative/unknown gbMSM, event-level erectile drug use increased, while alcohol use decreased over the study period. Overall, interactions between substance use and time on higher risk anal sex were not statistically significant, regardless of serostatus. However, we found a number of time-specific significant interactions for erectile drugs, poppers, Gamma-hydroxybutyrate (GHB), crystal methamphetamine and ecstasy/MDMA use among HIV-negative/unknown gbMSM. (4) Conclusion: Significant differences in substance use trends and associated risks exist and are varied among gbMSM by serostatus. These findings provide a more comprehensive understanding of the effects of event-level substance use on sexual risk through longitudinal follow-up of nearly six years.
Text
Sang et al (2021) Longitudinal Event level sexual risk and substance use (Final accepted version)
- Accepted Manuscript
Text
ijerph-18-03183
- Version of Record
More information
Accepted/In Press date: 16 March 2021
Published date: 19 March 2021
Additional Information:
Funding Information:
This work was supported by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (R01DA031055-01A1) and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (MOP-107544, FND-143342, PJT-153139). N.J.L. was supported by a CANFAR/CTN Postdoctoral Fellowship Award. H.L.A. was supported by a Postdoctoral Fellowship award from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (grant #MFE-152443). D.M.M. and N.J.L. are supported by Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research Scholar Awards (#5209, #16863). K.G.C. is supported by a Canadian Institutes of Health Research Health Systems Impact Fellowship award, a Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research Trainee Award, and a Canadian HIV Trials Network/Canadian Foundation for AIDS Research Postdoctoral Fellowship award. The authors of this study have no conflicts of interest to disclose. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.
Keywords:
Event-level, MSM, STI, Sexual risk, Substance use, Trends
Identifiers
Local EPrints ID: 447918
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/447918
ISSN: 1660-4601
PURE UUID: ccaad24a-b62b-4e89-9010-ae3c077b1385
Catalogue record
Date deposited: 26 Mar 2021 17:30
Last modified: 17 Mar 2024 03:55
Export record
Altmetrics
Contributors
Author:
Jordan Sang
Author:
Zishan Cui
Author:
Paul Sereda
Author:
Gbolahan Olarewaju
Author:
Allan Lal
Author:
Kiffer George Card
Author:
Eric A. Roth
Author:
Robert S. Hogg
Author:
David M. Moore
Author:
Nathan J. Lachowsky
Download statistics
Downloads from ePrints over the past year. Other digital versions may also be available to download e.g. from the publisher's website.
View more statistics
