HIV testing among social media-using Peruvian men who have sex with men: correlates and social context

ABSTRACT

HIV remains concentrated among men who have sex with men (MSM) in Peru, and homophobia and AIDS-related stigmas have kept the epidemic difficult to address. Gay self-identity has been associated with increased HIV testing, though this relationship has not been examined extensively. Social media use has been rapidly increasing in Peru, yet little is known about MSM social media users in Peru. This study sought to investigate the demographic, behavioral, and stigma-related factors associated with HIV testing among social media-using Peruvian MSM. Five hundred and fifty-six MSM from Lima and surrounding areas were recruited from social networking websites to complete a survey on their sexual risk behaviors. We examined the demographic and social correlates of HIV testing behavior among this sample. Younger age and non-gay identity were significantly associated with lower likelihood of getting tested in univariate analysis. After controlling for key behaviors and AIDS-related stigma, younger age remained significantly associated with decreased testing. Participants who engaged in discussions online about HIV testing were more likely to get tested, while AIDS-related stigma presented a significant barrier to testing. Stigma severity also varied significantly by sexual identity. Youth appear to be significantly less likely than older individuals to test for HIV. Among Peruvian MSM, AIDS-related stigma remains a strong predictor of willingness to get tested. Social media-based intervention work targeting Peruvian youth should encourage discussion around HIV testing, and must also address AIDS-related stigma.

KEYWORDS:

• HIV/AIDS
• HIV prevention
• stigma reduction
• behavior intervention
• online social networks
• Peru

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

ORCID

Evan A. Krueger http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2796-3013

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the National Institute on Aging under [grant number T32AG033533]; the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development under [grant number R24HD041022]; and the National Institute of Mental Health under [grant number MH090884]. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the funding agencies.