RESUMO
HIV remains concentrated among men who have sex with men (MSM) in Peru, and homophobia and AIDS-related stigmas have kept the epidemic difficult to address. Gay self-identity has been associated with increased HIV testing, though this relationship has not been examined extensively. Social media use has been rapidly increasing in Peru, yet little is known about MSM social media users in Peru. This study sought to investigate the demographic, behavioral, and stigma-related factors associated with HIV testing among social media-using Peruvian MSM. Five hundred and fifty-six MSM from Lima and surrounding areas were recruited from social networking websites to complete a survey on their sexual risk behaviors. We examined the demographic and social correlates of HIV testing behavior among this sample. Younger age and non-gay identity were significantly associated with lower likelihood of getting tested in univariate analysis. After controlling for key behaviors and AIDS-related stigma, younger age remained significantly associated with decreased testing. Participants who engaged in discussions online about HIV testing were more likely to get tested, while AIDS-related stigma presented a significant barrier to testing. Stigma severity also varied significantly by sexual identity. Youth appear to be significantly less likely than older individuals to test for HIV. Among Peruvian MSM, AIDS-related stigma remains a strong predictor of willingness to get tested. Social media-based intervention work targeting Peruvian youth should encourage discussion around HIV testing, and must also address AIDS-related stigma.
Assuntos
Infecções por HIV/diagnóstico , Homossexualidade Masculina , Aceitação pelo Paciente de Cuidados de Saúde , Mídias Sociais , Estigma Social , Adulto , Fatores Etários , Humanos , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Peru , Assunção de Riscos , Rede Social , Inquéritos e Questionários , Sexo sem Proteção , Adulto JovemRESUMO
Little research has focused on the ethical issues around using social media for HIV prevention in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), such as Peru. This study surveyed participants from the HOPE social media HIV intervention HIV intervention in Peru to assess their experiences and perceptions of ethical issues in the study and the impact of age on their experiences and perceptions. This study found that, compared to younger participants, older participants were more likely to express higher levels of understanding of the consent form and trust that other participants were real. Older participants also reported being less likely to benefit in learning about their HIV status. Findings suggest that age plays a role in participants' experiences in a social media-based HIV intervention.
RESUMO
Peru is experiencing a concentrated HIV epidemic among men who have sex with men (MSM). Substance use (alcohol and drug use) has been found to be associated with HIV-related sexual risk behaviors. A recent surge in the number of social media users in Peru has enabled these technologies to be potential tools for reaching HIV at-risk individuals. This study sought to assess the relationship between substance use and sexual risk behaviors among Peruvian MSM who use social media. A total of 556 Peruvian MSM Facebook users (ages 18-59) were recruited to complete a 92-item survey on demographics, sexual risk behaviors, and substance use. We performed a logistic regression of various sexual risk behaviors (e.g., unprotected sex, casual sex) on substance abuse, including alcohol, adjusting for potential covariates. Drinking more than five alcoholic drinks a day in the past three months was associated with an increased odds of having unprotected sex (vaginal and anal) (aOR: 1.52; 95% CL: 1.01, 2.28), casual sex (1.75; 1.17, 2.62), and sex with unknown persons (1.82; 1.23, 2.71). Drug use was not significantly associated with sexual risk behaviors. Among Peruvian MSM social media users, findings suggest that alcohol use was associated with increased HIV-related sexual risk behaviors.
Assuntos
Infecções por HIV/epidemiologia , Homossexualidade Masculina/psicologia , Assunção de Riscos , Comportamento Sexual/psicologia , Mídias Sociais/estatística & dados numéricos , Transtornos Relacionados ao Uso de Substâncias/etnologia , Adolescente , Adulto , Consumo de Bebidas Alcoólicas/etnologia , Consumo de Bebidas Alcoólicas/psicologia , Feminino , Hispânico ou Latino , Homossexualidade Masculina/etnologia , Humanos , Modelos Logísticos , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Peru , Sexo Seguro/estatística & dados numéricos , Transtornos Relacionados ao Uso de Substâncias/psicologia , Sexo sem Proteção/estatística & dados numéricos , Adulto JovemRESUMO
Questions have been raised regarding participants' safety and comfort when participating in e-health education programs. Although researchers have begun to explore this issue in the United States, little research has been conducted in low- and middle-income countries, where Internet and social media use is rapidly growing. This article reports on a quantitative study with Peruvian men who have sex with men who had previously participated in the Harnessing Online Peer Education (HOPE) program, a Facebook-based HIV education program. The survey assessed participants' ethics-relevant perspectives during recruitment, consent, intervention, and follow-up.