Characterizing the Impact of COVID-19 on Men Who Have Sex with Men Across the United States in April, 2020

The COVID-19 pandemic is reinforcing health inequities among vulnerable populations, including men who have sex with men (MSM). We conducted a rapid online survey (April 2 to April 13, 2020) of COVID-19 related impacts on the sexual health of 1051 US MSM. Many participants had adverse impacts to gen...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:AIDS and behavior 2020-07, Vol.24 (7), p.2024-2032
Main Authors: Sanchez, Travis H., Zlotorzynska, Maria, Rai, Mona, Baral, Stefan D.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adult
Alcohol use
Betacoronavirus
Condoms - statistics & numerical data
Coronavirus
Coronavirus Infections - epidemiology
Coronaviruses
COVID-19
Drinking behavior
Drug abuse
Epidemiology
Gays & lesbians
Health disparities
Health Psychology
Health Services Accessibility - statistics & numerical data
HIV
HIV Infections - prevention & control
Homosexuality, Male - statistics & numerical data
Human immunodeficiency virus
Humans
Incidence
Inequality
Infectious Diseases
Internet
Male
Mass Screening - statistics & numerical data
Medicine
Medicine & Public Health
Men
Men who have sex with men
Mens health
Middle Aged
Original Paper
Pandemics
Pneumonia, Viral - epidemiology
Prevention
Public Health
SARS-CoV-2
Sexual behavior
Sexual health
Sexual Partners
Sexually transmitted diseases
Social behavior
Social factors
Social interaction
Social interactions
STD
Substance abuse
Substance-Related Disorders - epidemiology
Surveys and Questionnaires
United States
Vulnerability
Well being
Young Adult
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Summary:The COVID-19 pandemic is reinforcing health inequities among vulnerable populations, including men who have sex with men (MSM). We conducted a rapid online survey (April 2 to April 13, 2020) of COVID-19 related impacts on the sexual health of 1051 US MSM. Many participants had adverse impacts to general wellbeing, social interactions, money, food, drug use and alcohol consumption. Half had fewer sex partners and most had no change in condom access or use. Some reported challenges in accessing HIV testing, prevention and treatment services. Compared to older MSM, those 15–24 years were more likely to report economic and service impacts. While additional studies of COVID-19 epidemiology among MSM are needed, there is already evidence of emerging interruptions to HIV-related services. Scalable remote solutions such as telehealth and mailed testing and prevention supplies may be urgently needed to avert increased HIV incidence among MSM during the COVID-19 pandemic era.
ISSN:1090-7165
1573-3254
DOI:10.1007/s10461-020-02894-2