Study Evaluating Self-Collected Specimen Return for HIV, Bacterial STI, and Potential Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis Adherence Testing Among Sexual Minority Men in the United States

Datos Bibliográficos

ID21748873
AutoresAkshay Sharma (0009-0003-5175-0530, University of Michigan, autor de correspondencia), Malli Gandhi (0000-0002-7025-1994, University of California, San Francisco), Monica Gandhi (0000-0001-6674-5388, University of California, San Francisco), Gregory Sallabank (0000-0002-9983-662X, University of Michigan), Leland Merrill (0000-0003-2925-6221, University of Michigan), Rob Stephenson (0000-0002-9239-2640, University of Michigan)
Año2022
Volumen16
Número4
Páginas15579883221115591-15579883221115591
Fecha de publicación2022-07-01
Peer ReviewedSí
Open AccessSí
TipoARTICLE
RevistaAmerican Journal of Men s Health (JOURNAL)
Identificadores de la revistaISSN: 1557-9883 • E-ISSN: 1557-9891
EditorialSAGE Publications (PUBLISHER • US)
DOI10.1177/15579883221115591
PMID35950608
OpenAlexW4291016394
IdiomaEN
Citas recibidas2
Referencias citadas86

Web-based HIV and sexually transmitted infection (STI) prevention studies are increasingly requesting gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (GBMSM) to return self-collected specimens for laboratory processing. Some studies have solicited self-collected extragenital swabs for gonorrhea and chlamydia testing, but to date, none have solicited self-collected hair samples for pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) adherence testing. Project Caboodle! offered 100 racially/ethnically diverse GBMSM aged 18 to 34 years residing across the United States a choice to self-collect at home and return by mail any of the following: a finger-stick blood sample (for HIV testing), a pharyngeal swab, a rectal swab and a urine specimen (for gonorrhea and chlamydia testing), and a hair sample (to visually assess its adequacy for PrEP drug level testing). Despite not incentivizing specimen return, 51% mailed back at least one type of specimen within 6 weeks (1% returned three specimens, 11% returned four specimens and 39% returned all five specimens). The majority of returned specimens were adequate for laboratory processing. Significantly more participants without a college education ( p = .0003) and those who were working full-time or part-time ( p = .0070) did not return any specimens. In addition, lower levels of HIV-related knowledge ( p = .0390), STI-related knowledge ( p = .0162), concern about contracting HIV ( p = .0484), and concern about contracting STIs ( p = .0108) were observed among participants who did not return any specimens. Self-collection of specimens holds promise as a remote monitoring strategy that could supplement testing in clinical settings, but a better understanding of why some GBMSM may choose to fully, partially, or not engage in this approach is warranted

Chlamydia · Family medicine · Gonorrhea · Gynecology · Men who have sex with men · Pre-exposure prophylaxis · Syphilis · Demography · HIV Research and Treatment · HIV, Drug Use, Sexual Risk · HIV/AIDS Research and Interventions · Medicine · Immunology