Partying in Thailand: Never Testing Among Men Who Have Sex With Men Who Attend Sexualized (Drug) Parties
1
Issued Date
2024-05-01
Resource Type
eISSN
15374521
Scopus ID
2-s2.0-85190753294
Pubmed ID
38301623
Journal Title
Sexually transmitted diseases
Volume
51
Issue
5
Start Page
352
End Page
358
Rights Holder(s)
SCOPUS
Bibliographic Citation
Sexually transmitted diseases Vol.51 No.5 (2024) , 352-358
Suggested Citation
Cheung D.H., Samoh N., Jonas K., Lim S.H., Kongjareon Y., Guadamuz T.E. Partying in Thailand: Never Testing Among Men Who Have Sex With Men Who Attend Sexualized (Drug) Parties. Sexually transmitted diseases Vol.51 No.5 (2024) , 352-358. 358. doi:10.1097/OLQ.0000000000001937 Retrieved from: https://repository.li.mahidol.ac.th/handle/123456789/98106
Title
Partying in Thailand: Never Testing Among Men Who Have Sex With Men Who Attend Sexualized (Drug) Parties
Author's Affiliation
Corresponding Author(s)
Other Contributor(s)
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) testing for Thai men who have sex with men (MSM) is suboptimal, which undermines their linkage to care and subsequent HIV preexposure prophylaxis (PrEP) uptake. METHODS: We analyzed a cross-sectional survey conducted in 2021 among Thai MSM who attended any private sex parties or circuit parties in the past 3 years ("sexualized parties"). RESULTS: Of the 424 men included in our analysis, 47.6% had been recently tested for HIV in the past 1 year, 30.2% had not recently been tested, and 22.2% had never been tested. In our multivariable analysis, relative to participants who had recently tested for HIV, those who have never tested were more likely to have lower education or to live outside of Bangkok, and to have attended both circuit and private sex parties (vs. private sex party only) but were less likely to report any sexually transmitted infection diagnosis or to have heard of PrEP. Participants who had an HIV test more than a year ago were more likely to have attended both circuit and private sex parties (vs. private sex parties only) but were less likely to have any sexually transmitted infection diagnosis, meet sexual partners online, or have heard of PrEP. Rates of condomless anal sex and willingness to use PrEP were similar across groups. CONCLUSIONS: Despite the high rates of sexual risk-taking, sexualized party attendees reported suboptimal HIV testing uptake. The joint promotion of HIV testing and PrEP is warranted-especially on-premise HIV testing at circuit parties and outreach at online platforms to reach sexualized party attendees.