HIV testing, care, and treatment experiences among the steady male partners of female sex workers living with HIV in the Dominican Republic
Year: 2016
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: Male steady partners of female sex workers (FSW) living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) represent a key population for treatment as prevention and/or pre-exposure prophylaxis interventions. This study uses data collected from male steady partners who were referred by FSW living with HIV participating in a multi-level HIV prevention and care intervention in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. We conducted a socio-behavioral survey and HIV testing with all men (n = 64) and 16 in-depth interviews with a sub-sample to obtain more depth. Thirty-five of the 64 participants were living with HIV; 27 were previously diagnosed and 8 were diagnosed during our study. As a result, 45% of men were members of sero-discordant sexual partnerships. Of men with no previous HIV diagnosis (n = 37), 15 had never been tested for HIV and nine had not been tested in the past two years. Ninety-three percent of men previously diagnosed with HIV reported receiving HIV care in the past 6 months and 78% were taking anti-retrovirals. Low HIV testing was partly due to men not feeling at risk for HIV, despite having an HIV-infected partner. Additionally, a lack of tailored care inhibited engagement in anti-retroviral treatment for those infected. HIV testing was low, highlighting a need for test-and-treat strategies. Men not living with HIV would benefit from regular testing and would be good candidates for pre-exposure prophylaxis. While almost all men who had been diagnosed with HIV were engaged in care and adherent to anti-retroviral therapy, future research should assess whether they are achieving optimal HIV outcomes for their health and prevention of ongoing transmission.
Source: AIDS Care
Language: English
Subfield: Infectious Diseases
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: green
Funders: United States Agency for International Development, Johns Hopkins University, U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, National Institutes of Health, Center for AIDS Research, University of Washington, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, Carolina Population Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Awards: G1113498402, Carolina Population Center, G1789099407, G2516138999, G6178862322, Carolina Population Center, Training in Sexually Transmitted Infections and HIV, Population Research Training, Training Program in Substance Use, HIV and Related Infections, The Johns Hopkins Center for AIDS Research (JHU CFAR)
OpenAlex ID: W2318158942