Evidence map›Paper›PMID 31124278›Full record

ArticleHIV medicine2019

Association between knowledge, risk behaviours, and testing for sexually transmitted infections among men who have sex with men: findings from a large online survey in the United Kingdom.

S Wayal, D Reid, P Weatherburn, P Blomquist, S Fabiane, G Hughes, C H Mercer

Abstract read
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In one paragraph

Article in HIV medicine, 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 21 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
21citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

21 citing papers in PubMed.

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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors.

S WayalInstitute for Global Health, University College London, London, UK.ORCID 0000-0002-5878-7665
D ReidHIV & STI Department, Centre for Infectious Disease Surveillance and Control (CIDSC), Public Health England, London, UK.
P WeatherburnThe National Institute for Health Research Health Protection Research Unit (NIHR HPRU), in Blood Borne and Sexually Transmitted Infections, UCL in partnership with Public Health England (PHE) and in collaboration with the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK.
P BlomquistHIV & STI Department, Centre for Infectious Disease Surveillance and Control (CIDSC), Public Health England, London, UK.
S FabianeInstitute for Global Health, University College London, London, UK.
G HughesHIV & STI Department, Centre for Infectious Disease Surveillance and Control (CIDSC), Public Health England, London, UK.
C H MercerInstitute for Global Health, University College London, London, UK.

Funding

The National Institute for Health Research 163057
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectivesIn the UK, men who have sex with men (MSM) bear a disproportionate sexually transmitted infection (STI) burden. We investigated MSM's STI knowledge; whether their STI testing behaviour met national guidelines (annually if sexually active; 3-monthly if engaging in STI risk behaviours); and the relationship between STI testing in the last 3 months, STI knowledge and STI risk behaviours by HIV status.

methodsSexually active (in the last year) men aged > 15 years who were UK residents and were recruited from gay-orientated online dating platforms completed an anonymous online survey about STI knowledge, STI risk behaviours, and STI testing (March-May 2017). This included 11 true statements about STIs. Respondents scored 1 for each statement they 'knew', with those scoring < 6 overall treated as having 'poor' STI knowledge. Descriptive and multivariable analyses were conducted, separately by HIV status, to test our hypothesis and calculate adjusted odds ratios (AORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs).

resultsCompared to HIV-positive men (n = 489), the proportion of HIV-negative/unknown-status men (n = 3157) with 'poor' STI knowledge was significantly higher (46.4% versus 22.9% for HIV-positive men) and the proportion with STI testing in the last 12 months was lower (71.6% versus 87.2%, respectively). In the last 3 months, 56.9% of HIV-negative/unknown-status and 74.1% of HIV-positive men reported STI risk behaviours, of whom 45.8% and 55.1%, respectively, had been tested for STIs during this time. Among HIV-negative/unknown-status men, those reporting STI risk behaviours were more likely (AOR 1.52; 95% CI 1.26-1.84) and those with poor STI knowledge less likely (AOR 0.73; 95% CI 0.61-0.89) to have been tested during the last 3 months. However, neither factor was independently associated with 3-monthly testing among HIV-positive men.

conclusionsImproving STI knowledge, especially among HIV-negative/unknown-status men, and promoting frequent STI testing among men engaging in STI risk behaviours are vital to address the poor sexual health of MSM.

Indexed as

AdolescentAdultAgedAged, 80 and overCross-Sectional StudiesHealth Knowledge, Attitudes, PracticeHIV InfectionsHomosexuality, MaleHumansInternetMaleMass ScreeningMiddle AgedRisk-TakingSelf ReportSexually Transmitted Diseaseshealth knowledgemen who have sex with mensexual behaviourssexually transmitted infectionsexually transmitted infection testing

Identifiers

PMID31124278
PMCPMC6771985

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.