Examining the Correlates of Sexually Transmitted Infection Testing Among Men Who Have Sex With Men in Ouagadougou and Bobo-Dioulasso, Burkina Faso.
BACKGROUND
Men who have sex with men (MSM) are a population at risk for HIV acquisition and transmission and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs). In Burkina Faso, the prevalence of HIV among MSM is higher than that of other reproductive-aged adults. Early and frequent STI testing and treatment can help prevent HIV acquisition and transmission and may improve linkage to care.


METHODS
A cross-sectional study used respondent-driven sampling of MSM in the urban centers of Ouagadougou and Bobo-Dioulasso, Burkina Faso, to complete a questionnaire and HIV and syphilis testing. The binary-dependent variable in these analyses was self-reported prior STI testing in the past 12 months. Independent variables included sociodemographic characteristics, sexual behaviors, and psychosocial factors, selected according to the modified social ecological model. Bivariate associations at the P<0.05 level were used to create a manual forward stepwise multivariable logistic regression.


RESULTS
Seventy-six percent of participants (511/672) did not test for STIs in the last 12 months. Testing for STIs was associated with STI symptoms (odds ratio [OR], 2.56; 95% confidence interval [95% CI], 1.39-4.76) and independently associated with depressive symptoms (adjusted OR, 1.49; 95% CI, 1.01-2.20) and discussing HIV and STIs with main male partners (adjusted OR, 1.73; 95% CI, 1.23-1.76).


CONCLUSIONS
These data suggest that periodic targeted STI screening for MSM in Burkina Faso may represent an important component of comprehensive HIV prevention programming. The relationship between depression and STI risks is well established, and these data further indicate that screening for depression may be warranted during these clinical encounters.
From the *Johns Hopkins School of Medicine Center for Child & Community Health Research; † Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Department of Epidemiology; ‡Key Populations Program Center for Public Health and Human Rights, Baltimore, MD; §Institut de Recherche en Sciences de la Santé (IRSS), Bobo Dioulasso, Burkina Faso; ¶Institut de Recherche en Sciences de la Santé-IRSS Maitre de Recherche Chef de Département Biomédical et Santé Publique, Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso; and ∥Programme d'Appui au Monde Associatif Communautaire de Lutte Contre le VIH/SIDA (PAMAC), Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.
Sara H
SH
Goodman
Ashley L
AL
Grosso
Sosthenes C
SC
Ketende
Gautier H
GH
Ouedraogo
Seni
S
Kouanda
Odette
O
Ky-Zerbo
Césaire
C
Samadoulougou
Stefan
S
Baral
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002050:Burkina Faso / Q000453:epidemiology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D018451:Homosexuality, Male; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016017:Odds Ratio; D015995:Prevalence; D012725:Sexual Behavior; D012747:Sexual Partners; D012749:Sexually Transmitted Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult