ArticleJournal of the International AIDS Society2021
HIV self-testing partially filled the HIV testing gap among men who have sex with men in China during the COVID-19 pandemic: results from an online survey.
Article in Journal of the International AIDS Society, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 22 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
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Who cites it
22 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 39 citations in OpenAlex.
- HIV Testing Disruptions and Service Adaptations During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Systematic Literature Review.AIDS and behavior · 2024Pooled it
- The International Sexual Health And REproductive Health during COVID-19 (I-SHARE) Study: A Multicountry Analysis of Adults from 30 Countries Prior to and During the Initial Coronavirus Disease 2019 Wave.Clinical infectious diseases : an official publication of the Infectious Diseases Society of America · 2022Pooled it
- COVID-19 Knowledge, Anxiety, and Access to Voluntary Counseling and Testing Among People With HIV During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Cross-Sectional Study.Asian/Pacific Island nursing journal · 2026Article
- Sexually Transmitted Infection Cases During COVID-19: Implications for Public Health.American journal of public health · 2025Article
- A Machine Learning Model for Identifying Sexual Health Influencers to Promote the Secondary Distribution of HIV Self-Testing Among Gay, Bisexual, and Other Men Who Have Sex With Men in China: Quasi-Experimental Study.JMIR public health and surveillance · 2024Article
- Web-Based Search Volume for HIV Tests and HIV-Testing Preferences During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Japan: Infodemiology Study.JMIR formative research · 2024Article
- Usability and acceptability of oral fluid- and blood-based hepatitis C virus self-testing among the general population and men who have sex with men in Malaysia.PLOS global public health · 2024Article
- Effectiveness of online HIV treatment services in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.Health care science · 2023Article
- The influence of the COVID-19 pandemic on identifying HIV/AIDS cases in China: an interrupted time series study.The Lancet regional health. Western Pacific · 2023Article
- COVID-19 impact on index testing services and programmatic cost in 5 high HIV prevalence Indian districts.BMC infectious diseases · 2022Article
- Changes in HIV Testing Utilization Among Chinese Men Who Have Sex With Men During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Shenzhen, China: An Observational Prospective Cohort Study.Frontiers in medicine · 2022Article
- Factors Predicting COVID-19 Vaccination Uptake Among Men Who Have Sex With Men in China: An Observational Prospective Cohort Study.Frontiers in medicine · 2022Article
- The Impact of COVID-19 on Disruptions of HIV-related Services: A Rapid Review.Medical journal of the Islamic Republic of Iran · 2022Review
- Providing HIV testing in men who have sex with men through a gay social networking app in China: A qualitative interview study with multisectoral service providers.Frontiers in public health · 2022Article
- Preferences for HIV Testing Services and HIV Self-Testing Distribution Among Migrant Gay, Bisexual, and Other Men Who Have Sex With Men in Australia.Frontiers in medicine · 2022Article
- Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on HIV Services in Korea: Results from a Cross-Sectional Online Survey.Infection & chemotherapy · 2021Article
- Research Progress in the Epidemiology of HIV/AIDS in China.China CDC weekly · 2021Article
- Comparing HIV Post-Exposure Prophylaxis, Testing, and New Diagnoses in Two Australian Cities with Different Lockdown Measures during the COVID-19 Pandemic.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2021Article
- HIV service delivery in the time of COVID-19: focus group discussions with key populations in India.Journal of the International AIDS Society · 2021Article
- HIV and COVID-19: review of clinical course and outcomes.HIV research & clinical practice · 2021Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
11 authors at 4 institutions in 4 countries.
Funding
Abstract
introductionHIV self-testing (HIVST) is a useful strategy to promote HIV testing among key populations. This study aimed to understand HIV testing behaviours among men who have sex with men (MSM) and specifically how HIVST was used during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) measures in China when access to facility-based testing was limited.
methodsAn online cross-sectional study was conducted to recruit men who have sex with men (MSM) in China from May to June of 2020, a period when COVID-19 measures were easing. Data on socio-demographic characteristics, sexual behaviours and HIV testing in the three months before and during COVID-19 measures (23 January 2020) were collected. Chi-square test and logistic regression were used for analyses.
resultsOverall, 685 MSM were recruited from 135 cities in 30 provinces of China, whose mean age was 28.8 (SD: 6.9) years old. The majority of participants self-identified as gay (81.9%) and had disclosed their sexual orientation (66.7%). In the last three months, 69.6% ever had sex with men, nearly half of whom had multiple sexual partners (47.2%). Although the overall HIV testing rates before and during COVID-19 measures were comparable, more MSM self-tested for HIV during COVID-19 measures (52.1%) compared to before COVID-19 measures (41.6%, p = 0.038). Fewer MSM used facility-based HIV testing during COVID-19 measures (42.9%) compared to before COVID-19 measures (54.1%, p = 0.038). Among 138 facility-based testers before COVID-19 measures, 59.4% stopped facility-based testing during COVID-19 measures. Among 136 self-testers during COVID-19 measures, 58.1% had no HIV self-testing before COVID-19 measures. Multivariable logistic regression showed that having sex with other men in the last three months (adjusted odds ratio, aOR = 2.04, 95% CI: 1.38 to 3.03), self-identifying as gay (aOR = 2.03, 95% CI: 1.31 to 3.13), ever disclosing their sexual orientation (aOR = 1.72, 95% CI: 1.19 to 2.50) and tested for HIV in three months before COVID-19 measures (aOR = 4.74, 95% CI: 3.35 to 6.70) were associated with HIV testing during COVID-19 measures.
conclusionsFacility-based HIV testing decreased and HIVST increased among MSM during COVID-19 measures in China. MSM successfully accessed HIVST as substitute for facility-based testing, with no overall decrease in HIV testing rates.
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