In February 2022, Right PLUS published four infographics as Community Reports in Spanish: about knowledge of and access to ART; about migration to love more openly as a gay or bisexual or trans person, anxiety and depression; on substance use; and on HIV, STS, and hepatitis B & C .
In April 2020, the Brazilian NGO Associação Brasileira de Lésbicas, Gays, Bissexuais, Travestis, Transexuais e Intersexos (ABGLT), published a comparable Community Report for Brazil, based on data from the Latin American Internet Survey (LAMIS), with support from Maria Amelia de Sousa Mascena Veras (Faculdade de Ciências Médicas da Santa Casa de São Paulo) and Sigma Research.
Since data collection closed in May 2018, two national reports have been written using LAMIS data. We thank Jair Eduardo Restrepo Pineda and Wilber Arduai Mejía Toro (CO) and Efraín Soria Alba, David Ortiz, María Elena Acosta, and Lupe Orozco (EC) for their work.
Revista Colombiana de Psiquiatría, S0034745022000592. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rcp.2022.04.010
Author: Restrepo Pineda, J. E.
Introduction
Psychosocial health is fundamental to the well-being of the human being. In the case of the gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men (MSM) population, it is affected by discrimination, homophobia, marginalisation and social exclusion.
Methods
A quantitative investigation was designed, which used a virtual survey. Kruskal Wallis tests were performed for the difference in medians between the internalised Index of Homphobia (IH) and various variables; this same test was used for the comorbidity between anxiety and depression.
Results
A sample of 8,208 individuals was obtained, with ages between 18 and 75 years. Between the IH indices and the educational level variable, statistically significant differences are observed in the medians of the different categories. On the other hand, 8.0% of the population presents with moderate levels of comorbidity between anxiety and depression and 4.0%, a severe level.
Discussion
IH decreases as the subjects prepare academically, while the severity of anxiety and depression is greater in those who report complicated affective relationships. People with a diagnosis of HIV present with a greater severity of depressive symptoms.
Conclusions
IH, depression, and anxiety are linked to intersectional discrimination, leading to greater individual and social vulnerability for people who are gay, people who are bisexual, and other men who have sex with men that directly affects their psychosocial health.
HIV Medicine; 23(7):764–773. doi: 10.1111/hiv.13238
Authors: Avelino-Silva, V. I., Vasconcelos, R., Cerqueira, N. B., Marcus, U., Schmidt, A. J., & Veras, M. A.
Introduction
HIV is still a central public health issue in Latin America, disproportionally affecting key populations. Knowledge and access to biomedical prevention strategies, including treatment as prevention (TASP) or undetectable = untransmissible (U=U), pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP), are the first steps to increasing uptake. We used data from the Latin American MSM Internet Survey (LAMIS) to describe knowledge and access to biomedical HIV prevention strategies among gay, bisexual, transgender and other men who have sex with men (MSM) living in 18 Latin American countries.
Methods
We compared LAMIS data across countries and according to age categories using frequencies and percentages. We also used multivariable models to explore whether age, gender identity, sexual identity, steady partnership, HIV status and education were independently associated with outcomes.
Results
In all, 55 924 participants were included. Most were cisgender (99%) and identified as gay/homosexual (77%) or bisexual (17%). Schooling levels were very high, with 89% reporting highest attained education as tertiary level, university or post-graduation. In total, 16% had been previously diagnosed with HIV; of those, rates of undetectable viral load varied from 60% in Venezuela to 83% in Brazil. Overall, 54%, 54% and 52% of participants already knew about PEP, PrEP and U=U, respectively. Participants from Brazil and those aged between 26 and 55 years, living with diagnosed HIV and having a gay/homosexual identity had greater levels of awareness about biomedical prevention strategies.
Conclusions
Our study highlights gaps in HIV prevention campaigns directed to MSM in Latin America resulting in low uptake of biomedical prevention methods.
Revista Chilena De Infectologia: Organo Oficial De La Sociedad Chilena De Infectologia, 38(5), 655-666. https://doi.org/10.4067/s0716-10182021000500655
Authors: Adrian P, C., & Stuardo Á, V.
Background:
Chile is facing a re-emergence of the HIV epidemic, concentrated among men who have sex with men (MSM). Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is a biomedical intervention that effectively prevents HIV transmission among MSM.
Aim:
The study was designed to estimate acceptability of PrEP and identify factors associated with PrEP-related attitudes and behaviors among MSM using LAMIS 2018 – Chile study data.
Methods:
Data were taken from the LAMIS 2018 – Chile study, a cross-sectional study of gay, bisexual, transgender, and other MSM. Our subsample included 3976 participants with self-reported HIV-negative or unknown status who responded to sociodemographic questions and items related to PrEP. Bivariate analysis and multivariate logistic regression analysis were performed to identify factors associated with acceptability of PrEP.
Results and Discussion:
A total of 55.7% of the sample reported high PrEP acceptability. Logistic regression indicated that engaging in sex without a condom (ORa = 1.67, IC 95% 1.42-1.97) and having previously used PrEP (ORa = 1.99, IC 95% 1.41-1.62) were associated with high acceptability to use PrEP, while having a stable partner was associated with low acceptability. The estimate of PrEP acceptability was relatively high among participants. However, interventions to increase awareness and promote demand for PrEP may be beneficial. Furthermore, this study demonstrates the need for non-governmental organizations to participate in such strategies and for measures that address regionally-relevant emerging phenomena.
Keywords: pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP); HIV prevention; men who have sex with men (MSM)
Sexual Health, 17(6), 493-502. https://doi.org/10.1071/SH200
Authors: Lisboa Donoso, C., & Stuardo Ávila, V.
Background:
Sexualised drug use has attracted interest due to the role it could play in increasing exposure to the transmission of HIV and other sexually transmissible infections. It also carries risks inherent to substance use and may influence psychosocial factors. This study characterised sexualised drug use among Latin America MSM Internet Survey (LAMIS) respondents in Chile, in order to identify aspects associated with the phenomenon.
Methods:
LAMIS data were used to analyse: drug use (in any context, in sexual context and sexualised drug use), epidemiological aspects and psychosocial aspects. In addition, the associations between the sexualised drug use and these aspects were estimated.
Results:
The prevalence of sexualised drug use was 24% (n = 4945). The drugs most used in a sexual context (n = 3365) were cannabis, poppers and viagra. Cocaine, ecstasy/MDMA (3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine) and ketamine use were reported in sexual encounters with multiple partners. Living with HIV (adjusted odds ratio (AOR) = 1.92), having had sex with three or more casual partners in the past year (AOR = 2.02) and having engaged in sex without a condom with three or more casual partners in this period (AOR = 1.61) were aspects associated with sexualised drug use. Less social integration (AOR = 0.76) and internalised homonegativity (AOR = 0.85) were aspects associated with a decrease of possibility of practising sexual drug use.
Conclusion:
Sexualised drug use is an emerging phenomenon in Chile, whose complexity needs to be studied in all its dimensions to have a complete understanding of its effect on people’s health.