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HIV Testing Among Men Who Have Sex with Men in the Northeastern United States

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Abstract

Men who have sex with men (MSM) continue to be at especially high risk for HIV in the United States. Past studies have shown that rates of HIV testing differ across a number of demographic and behavioral factors, and this research may be helpful for targeting efforts to increase testing among certain subgroups of MSM. In this study, MSM were recruited from several online sources to complete a questionnaire on HIV testing. Generalized ordered logit models suggested that the odds of having tested within the last 12 months were higher among racial/ethnic minority MSM, those with a college degree, and those who engaged in more recent HIV-risk behavior. The odds of having tested within the last 12 months were also higher among those who reported having sex with a partner they met online in the last 12 months. Conversely, the odds of having tested in the last 12 months were lower among those who reported drinking alcohol heavily, when compared with more moderate drinkers, highlighting yet another potential impact of alcohol on HIV outcomes.

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Acknowledgements

This manuscript was supported by R21MH109374 from the National Institute on Mental Health, and R34AA023478, P01AA019072, and L30AA023336 from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.

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Correspondence to Tyler B. Wray.

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Wray, T.B., Chan, P.A., Celio, M.A. et al. HIV Testing Among Men Who Have Sex with Men in the Northeastern United States. AIDS Behav 22, 531–537 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10461-017-1976-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10461-017-1976-2

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