Multidimensional factors associated with perceived risk of HIV among sexually experienced individuals in Portugal

ABSTRACT

This study aimed to analyse the factors (sociodemographic, sex-related, HIV-related, and psychological) associated with perceived risk of HIV (PRHIV) among sexually experienced individuals from the general population in Portugal. The sample of this cross-sectional study comprised 902 participants, who completed an online questionnaire assessing sociodemographic and sex-related data, HIV prophylaxis, HIV testing and knowledge, attachment, emotion regulation, distress tolerance, and PRHIV. Multiple factors were significantly associated with higher PRHIV. These included self-defining as gay/lesbian or bisexual, not insisting on using condoms, having a higher number of sexual partners, using the Internet to find sexual partners, having had an STD, having anal and oral sex, and testing for HIV in the last year. Psychological factors such as higher levels of attachment-related anxiety and avoidance, higher use of expressive suppression emotional regulation strategy, and lower levels of distress tolerance were associated with higher PRHIV. This study, one of the few conducted in Europe, shows that diverse factors from different categories are associated with PRHIV, but sex-related factors have a prominent role. Our findings also suggest that to understand the formation of HIV risk perceptions, psychological factors regarding affect regulation should be considered, highlighting the importance of examining affect regulation in future interventions.

KEYWORDS:

• HIV/AIDS
• risk perception
• associated factors
• sexual behaviour
• general population

Acknowledgments

The authors are grateful to the participants of the study.

Disclosure of potential conflicts of interest

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Data Availability Statement

The datasets used and/or analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request [email protected].

Additional information

Funding

This study is part of the research project ‘The HIV Serodiscordant Couple’s Project: A dyadic and multidimensional approach’, integrated in the Research Group Relationships, Development & Health of the R&D Unit Center for Research in Neuropsychology and Cognitive Behavioral Intervention of the Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, University of Coimbra. This work was supported by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT). Alexandra Martins is supported by a PhD scholarship from the FCT (SFRH/BD/100117/2014). Marco Pereira is an FCT Researcher (IF/00402/2014). The funders were not involved in the study design, the data collection and analysis or interpretation of the data, writing the manuscript, or the decision to submit the manuscript for publication.Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia [IF/00402/2014,SFRH/BD/100117/2014];

Notes on contributors

Alexandra Martins

Alexandra Martins is PhD student in Health Psychology at the Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences of the University of Coimbra (Portugal). In 2012, she concluded the Integrated Master in Psychology, in the area of Clinical and Health Psychology, at the same faculty. Her current research interests include clinical and health psychology, extradyadic behaviours, adjustment to HIV/AIDS, risk perception of HIV, and dyadic processes in the couples’ adjustment to HIV-serodiscordancy.

Maria Cristina Canavarro

Maria Cristina Canavarro is Full Professor at the Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences of the University of Coimbra (Portugal), researcher, and coordinator of the Center for Research in Neuropsychology and Cognitive and Behavioral Intervention (CINEICC) and the Research Group Relationships, Development & Health of CINEICC. Her current research interests include clinical and health psychology, cognitive-behavioural therapies, psychopathology, perinatal period, and health communication.

Marco Pereira

Marco Pereira is Associate Professor at the Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences of the University of Coimbra (Portugal) and researcher of the Center for Research in Neuropsychology and Cognitive and Behavioral Intervention (CINEICC), in the Research Group Relationships, Development & Health of this centre. He is or has been researcher or advisor in several national and international studies related to HIV, Hepatitis C, pregnancy and transition to parenthood, and quality of life. His current research interests include quality of life assessment, infidelity, adult attachment and dyadic processes in the couples’ adaptation to different contexts of adversity (e.g., HIV-serodiscordancy).