ArticleSexually transmitted infections2021
Reduced sexual contacts with non-steady partners and less PrEP use among MSM in Belgium during the first weeks of the COVID-19 lockdown: results of an online survey.
Article in Sexually transmitted infections, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 45 papers.
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Who cites it
45 citing papers in PubMed, 90 citations in OpenAlex.
- PrEPped for COVID? The association between HIV-PrEP use and COVID-19 among men and gender diverse people who have sex with men: findings from three large online surveys in the United Kingdom.BMC public health · 2026Article
- Understanding the Needs and Experiences With Health Services of Gay and Bisexual Men (GBM) Who Engaged in Chemsex During the First Year of the COVID-19 Pandemic in Quebec, Canada.Qualitative health research · 2025Article
- The 'Informed Matter' of Gay and Bisexual Men's (Potential) Use of HIV Antiretrovirals to Prevent COVID-19.Sociology of health & illness · 2025Article
- Empowering women at risk: exploring the impact of accountability partners and whatsapp groups on PrEP utilization in Soweto, South Africa.BMC public health · 2025Article
- Factors associated with having a steady homosexual partner among men who have sex with men, based on internet recruitment.Frontiers in public health · 2025Article
- Profile of Persons Recently Infected with HIV-1 in Belgium: New Insights to Tailor Prevention Efforts.AIDS and behavior · 2024Article
- HIV Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) Users' Experiences of PrEP Access, Sexual Behaviour, and Well-Being During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Welsh Qualitative Study.Health expectations : an international journal of public participation in health care and health policy · 2024Article
- Dynamicity of HIV Pre-exposure Prophylaxis Usage Pattern and Association with Executed Adherence in MSM: An Implementation Study in Hong Kong.AIDS and behavior · 2024Article
- Characteristics of the Sexual Networks of Men Who Have Sex With Men in Montréal, Toronto, and Vancouver: Insights from Canada's 2022 Mpox Outbreak.The Journal of infectious diseases · 2024Article
- Article
- Lived experiences with pre-exposure prophylaxis uptake and adherence among transgender women in Thailand: a qualitative study.Sexual health · 2024Article
- Epidemiology of common infectious diseases before and during the COVID-19 pandemic in Bavaria, Germany, 2016 to 2021: an analysis of routine surveillance data.Euro surveillance : bulletin Europeen sur les maladies transmissibles = European communicable disease bulletin · 2023Article
- The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on contraceptive methods, abortion, and unintended pregnancy: a cross-sectional study.BMC women's health · 2023Article
- Characterizing the Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on HIV PrEP care: A Review and Synthesis of the Literature.AIDS and behavior · 2023Review
- Trajectories of PrEP use among men who have sex with men: a pooled analysis of two prospective, observational cohort studies.Journal of the International AIDS Society · 2023Article
- Patterns of PrEP and condom use among PrEP users in Belgium: a web-based longitudinal study.BMC public health · 2023Article
- COVID-19 Testing in a Weekly Cohort Study of Gay and Bisexual Men: The Impact of Health-Seeking Behaviors and Social Connection.AIDS and behavior · 2023Article
- Treatment as prevention effect of direct-acting antivirals on primary hepatitis C virus incidence: Findings from a multinational cohort between 2010 and 2019.EClinicalMedicine · 2023Article
- Behavioral predictors associated with HIV screening needs in gay Korean men during the COVID-19 pandemic.PloS one · 2023Article
- Impact of COVID-19 pandemic and anti-pandemic measures on tuberculosis, viral hepatitis, HIV/AIDS and malaria-A systematic review.PLOS global public health · 2023Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
11 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
objectivesTo examine changes in the occurrence of physical sex with non-steady partners among men who have sex with men (MSM) in Belgium during the first weeks of the COVID-19 lockdown and associations with sociodemographic factors, sexual practices, drug, alcohol and pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) use. A secondary objective was to explore changes in PrEP use and the need for PrEP follow-up.
methodsA cross-sectional online survey. The questionnaire was available in Dutch, French and English, between April 10 and 27 (2020), and disseminated via sexual health and lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, queer or intersex organisations throughout Belgium. Eligibility criteria included being 18 years or older, not being exclusively heterosexual and living or being born in Belgium.
resultsThe sample included 694 MSM. Physical sex with non-steady partners decreased from 59.1% to 8.9% during the first weeks of the lockdown. Those who had sex with non-steady partners were significantly more likely to be HIV positive, to use PrEP or to have engaged in sexual practices such as group sex, chemsex and sex work before the lockdown, compared with their counterparts. Among those who used PrEP before the lockdown, 47.0% stopped using PrEP, 19.7% used event-driven PrEP and 33.3% used daily PrEP during the lockdown. Almost two-thirds of PrEP users had a PrEP care appointment in the weeks before the lockdown and a minority received follow-up elsewhere or online. Some PrEP users had concerns regarding their follow-up.
conclusionsMSM in our survey substantially reduced sexual contact with non-steady partners during the first weeks of the COVID-19 lockdown, suggesting that the risk for HIV and STI transmission in this period was low. We recommend ensuring access to sexual health services, such as HIV testing and follow-up for PrEP for the small group having multiple sex partners and engaging in sexual practices such as chemsex, or group sex, even in times of a pandemic threat.
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