Health vulnerability behaviors among men who have sex with men in the context of mpox: a cross-sectional study, Brazil, 2022
Year: 2026
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: Objective: To analyze adherence to health vulnerability behaviors among men who have sex with men during the mpox public health emergency in Brazil. Method: A cross-sectional, analytical study conducted in a virtual environment between September and December 2022 via an electronic questionnaire, with recruitment via social media/dating apps. The outcome of interest comprised four variables related to health vulnerability behaviors, and a multivariable analysis was conducted using a generalized linear model. Results: A total of 1,449 men who reported having sex with men participated in the study, with a prevalence of health vulnerability behaviors of 13.9% (n=202), mainly due to not being vaccinated against mpox (50.4%), not adopting preventive care measures (30.6%), not undergoing testing (26.2%), and not following health treatment (9.9%). The multivariable model indicated a higher prevalence of the outcome independently associated with intimate contact with a person with mpox (adjusted prevalence ratio [APR]: 1.82; 95% confidence interval [95%CI] 1.33; 2.48), non-disclosure of serological status (APR 1.40; 95%CI 1.05; 1.87), and disbelief in mpox-related homophobia (APR 1.39; 95%CI 1.01; 1.90). The use of glory holes was associated with a lower prevalence (APR 0.43; 95%CI 0.20; 0.92). Conclusion: Greater health vulnerability was identified among participants who exhibited behaviors associated with a higher risk of mpox exposure, highlighting the need to plan targeted, population-based actions.
Language: English
Subfield: Infectious Diseases
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W7169812616