Physical Distancing Due to COVID-19 Disrupts Sexual Behaviors Among Gay and Bisexual Men in Australia: Implications for Trends in HIV and Other Sexually Transmissible Infections.
Adolescent
Adult
Age Factors
Aged
Aged, 80 and over
Australia
/ epidemiology
Betacoronavirus
Bisexuality
/ psychology
COVID-19
Cohort Studies
Coronavirus Infections
/ complications
HIV Infections
/ epidemiology
Homosexuality, Male
/ psychology
Humans
Male
Middle Aged
Pandemics
/ prevention & control
Pneumonia, Viral
/ complications
SARS-CoV-2
Sexual Behavior
Sexual Partners
/ classification
Sexually Transmitted Diseases
/ epidemiology
Surveys and Questionnaires
Young Adult
Journal
Journal of acquired immune deficiency syndromes (1999)
ISSN: 1944-7884
Titre abrégé: J Acquir Immune Defic Syndr
Pays: United States
ID NLM: 100892005
Informations de publication
Date de publication:
01 Nov 2020
01 Nov 2020
Historique:
pubmed:
3
8
2020
medline:
28
10
2020
entrez:
3
8
2020
Statut:
ppublish
Résumé
In March 2020, Australian state and federal governments introduced physical distancing measures alongside widespread testing to combat COVID-19. These measures may decrease people's sexual contacts and thus reduce the transmission of HIV and other sexually transmissible infections (STIs). We investigated the impact of physical distancing measures due to COVID-19 on the sexual behavior of gay and bisexual men in Australia. Between April 4, 2020, and April 29, 2020, 940 participants in an ongoing cohort study responded to questions to measure changes in sexual behaviors during the COVID-19 pandemic. Men reported the date they become concerned about COVID-19 and whether they engaged in sexual behavior with regular or casual partners or "fuckbuddies" in the 6 months before becoming concerned about COVID-19 (hereafter referred to as "before COVID-19"), and following the date, they become concerned about COVID-19 (hereafter referred to as "since COVID-19"). Before and since COVID-19 was based on individual participants' own perceived date of becoming concerned about COVID-19. The mean age of was 39.9 years (SD: 13.4). Most participants (88.3%) reported sex with other men during the 6 months before COVID-19. Of the 587 men (62.4%) who reported sex with casual partners before COVID-19, 93 (15.8%) continued to do so in the period since COVID-19, representing a relative reduction of 84.2%. Gay and bisexual men in Australia have dramatically reduced their sexual contacts with other men since COVID-19. These behavioral changes will likely result in short-term reductions in new HIV and STI diagnoses. If sexual health screenings are undertaken before resuming sexual activity, this could present a novel opportunity to interrupt chains of HIV and STI transmission.
Identifiants
pubmed: 32740374
doi: 10.1097/QAI.0000000000002462
pii: 00126334-202011010-00009
doi:
Types de publication
Journal Article
Langues
eng
Sous-ensembles de citation
IM
Pagination
309-315Références
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