Psychosocial and behavioral correlates with HIV testing among men who have sex with men during the COVID-19 pandemic in China.

OBJECTIVES: Some of community mitigation efforts on COVID-19 created challenges to ongoing public health programs, including HIV care and prevention services among men who have sex with men (MSM). The goal of the current study was to explore sociodemographic factors and the impact of COVID-19 on HIV testing among Chinese MSM during state-enforced quarantine. METHODS: We conducted a community based survey between May 1st to June 30th, 2020 on COVID-19 related impacts on HIV testing among 436 China MSM during the COVID-19 state-enforced quarantine. RESULTS: One-third (33.7%) of MSM received HIV testing during the quarantine period. Few participants reported difficulty accessing facility-based testing (n = 13, 3.0%) or obtaining HIV self-test kit online (n = 22, 5.0%). However, 12.1% of participants reported being afraid of getting facility-based HIV test due to concerns about the risk of COVID-19. In the multivariate logistic regression model, participants who were married (aOR: 1.89, 95%CI: 1.19-3.01), reported increased quality of sleep (aOR: 2.07, 95%CI: 1.11-3.86), and increased difficulty in accessing health care (aOR: 2.34, 95%CI: 1.37-3.99) were more likely to get an HIV test during the state-enforced quarantine. CONCLUSION: The mitigation measures of COVID-19 have created various barriers to access HIV related prevention services in China, including HIV testing. To mitigate these impacts on HIV prevention and care services, future programs need to address barriers to HIV-related services, such as providing high-quality HIV self-testing. Meanwhile, psychological services or other social services are needed to those experiencing mental distress.

Domestic Violence Victimization Among Men Who Have Sex with Men in China During the COVID-19 Lockdown.

Many countries worldwide have implemented dedicated measures, such as shelter at home, to contain the spread of the COVID-19 virus. However, those mitigation measures may have major implications for individuals living with someone abusive or controlling. Domestic violence (DV) may be one of the unintended consequences of public health measures due to increased various stressors and reduced access to support and services. There has been a lack of empirical research on DV victimization among gender and sexual minorities, a population vulnerable to interpersonal violence and its associated adverse health outcomes. This study investigates the prevalence of DV victimization among men who have sex with men (MSM) in Jiangsu Province, China, during the COVID-19 lockdown and its correlates with COVID-19-related psychosocial and health stressors. A total of 413 MSM were recruited via snowball sampling, venue-based, and internet-based sampling from four cities in Jiangsu Province. After providing informed consent, all participants completed study questionnaires, followed by HIV testing. Over a quarter of the participants (27.4%) reported DV victimization during the COVID-19 lockdown, including experience of verbal, physical, or sexual abuse. After adjusting sociodemographic factors, DV victimization was associated with various adverse experiences during the COVID-19 lockdown, including increased stress or anxiety level, increased alcohol use, and housing instability. Study findings underscore the prevalence of DV victimization among MSM during the COVID-19 pandemic in China. The results can inform public health efforts to raise awareness and address DV victimization among MSM in the low- and middle-income country context during the COVID-19 pandemic. Adequate health and social services and economic resources are also critical to address the needs of MSM experiencing DV victimization.