Lack of sexual behavior disclosure may distort STI testing outcomes

BMC Public Health

Table 4 Multivariate analyses of versatile MSM propensity to select the rectal test compared to the urethral test, in line with non- specific disclosure and disclosure to health provider

Variable	Marginal Effects (95% CI)	P	Marginal Effects (95% CI)	P
Type of disclosure	Non-specific disclosure		Disclosure to health provider
Dependent variable: rectal test
Insertive	–	–	–	–
Receptive	0.61 (0.52, 0.70)	< .001	0.56 (0.46, 0.67)	< .001
Versatile	0.36 (0.23, 0.48)	< .001	0.15 (0.03, 0.26)	.01
Age	0.004 (−0.01, 0.01)	.46	0.005 (0.001, 0.01)	.01
Income	0.03 (−0.02, 0.08)	.24	0.02 (−0.02, 0.05)	.39
Number of male partners last three months	−0.03 (− 0.06, 0.003)	.08	− 0.03 (− 0.05, − 0.01)	.01
Frequency of condomless anal intercourse last three months	0.2 (0.09, 0.32)	.001	0.19 (0.05, 0.33)	.01
Non-specific disclosure	−0.2 (− 0.36, − 0.05)	.01	–	–
Versatile*non-specific disclosure	0.27 (0.06, 0.48)	.01	–	–
Disclosure to health provider	–	–	−0.16 (− 0.29, − 0.04)	.01
Versatile*disclosure to health provider	–	–	0.29 (0.06, 0.53)	.01
N	85		85
Predicted mean for receiving a rectal test	0.41		0.39

Note: Marginal effects of probit with sample selection (outcome equation results shown). Confidence interval (CI) estimated using jackknife with clustering by sites and within-site groups. Non-specific disclosure: Compared to versatile MSM not out to someone, versatile MSM who are out to someone (disclosed sexual identity) are more likely to select the rectal gonorrhea and chlamydia test, compared to the urethral test; Disclosure to health provider: Compared to versatile MSM not out to their health provider, versatile MSM out to their health provider are more likely to select the rectal gonorrhea and chlamydia test, compared to the urethral test

ISSN: 1471-2458