Willingness of US men who have sex with men (MSM) to participate in Couples HIV Voluntary Counseling and Testing (CVCT).
BACKGROUND
We evaluated willingness to participate in CVCT and associated factors among MSM in the United States.


METHODS
5,980 MSM in the US, recruited through MySpace.com, completed an online survey March-April, 2009. A multivariable logistic regression model was built using being "willing" or "unwilling" to participate in CVCT in the next 12 months as the outcome.


RESULTS
Overall, 81.5% of respondents expressed willingness to participate in CVCT in the next year. Factors positively associated with willingness were: being of non-Hispanic Black (adjusted odds ratio [aOR]: 1.5, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.2-1.8), Hispanic (aOR: 1.3, CI: 1.1-1.6), or other (aOR: 1.4, CI: 1.1-1.8) race/ethnicity compared to non-Hispanic White; being aged 18-24 (aOR: 2.5, CI: 1.7-3.8), 25-29 (aOR: 2.3, CI: 1.5-3.6), 30-34 (aOR: 1.9, CI: 1.2-3.1), and 35-45 (aOR: 2.3, CI: 1.4-3.7) years, all compared to those over 45 years of age; and having had a main male sex partner in the last 12 months (aOR: 1.9, CI: 1.6-2.2). Factors negatively associated with willingness were: not knowing most recent male sex partner's HIV status (aOR: 0.81, CI: 0.69-0.95) compared to knowing that the partner was HIV-negative; having had 4-7 (aOR: 0.75, CI: 0.61-0.92) or >7 male sex partners in the last 12 months (aOR: 0.62, CI: 0.50-0.78) compared to 1 partner; and never testing for HIV (aOR: 0.38, CI: 0.31-0.46), having been tested over 12 months ago (aOR: 0.63, CI: 0.50-0.79), or not knowing when last HIV tested (aOR: 0.67, CI: 0.51-0.89), all compared to having tested 0-6 months previously.


CONCLUSIONS
Young MSM, men of color, and those with main sex partners expressed a high level of willingness to participate in couples HIV counseling and testing with a male partner in the next year. Given this willingness, it is likely feasible to scale up and evaluate CVCT interventions for US MSM.
Department of Epidemiology, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America.
Bradley H
BH
Wagenaar
Lauren
L
Christiansen-Lindquist
Christine
C
Khosropour
Laura F
LF
Salazar
Nanette
N
Benbow
Nik
N
Prachand
R Craig
RC
Sineath
Rob
R
Stephenson
Patrick S
PS
Sullivan
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001294:Attitude to Health; D003140:Communicable Disease Control / Q000379:methods; D003376:Counseling; D005191:Family Characteristics; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000523:psychology; D006679:HIV Seropositivity / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000821:virology; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D018451:Homosexuality, Male / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D020407:Internet; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000379:methods*; D008875:Middle Aged; D016017:Odds Ratio; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012306:Risk; D012725:Sexual Behavior; D012747:Sexual Partners / Q000523:psychology; D014481:United States