Skip to main content

Table 1 Sociodemographic characteristics, service engagement and outcomes, sexual risk and prevention behaviours in a) MSM by self-perceived HIV status and b) MSM providing information on current PrEP use, June to August 2019

From: PrEP use and unmet PrEP-need among men who have sex with men in London prior to the implementation of a national PrEP programme, a cross-sectional study from June to August 2019

 

a) MSM by self-perceived HIV status1,2

b) MSM providing information on current PrEP use1,2,3

 

MSM participants

HIV negative/unknown

HIV positive

MSM participants

Current PrEP use

No current PrEP use

 

n = 1408

n = 1288

n = 120

n = 1230

n = 242

n = 988

Recruitment location

 Bar/pub

72.9% (1026/1408)

72.6% (935/1288)

75.8% (91/120)

72.4% (891/1230)

70.7% (171/242)

72.9% (720/988)

 Club

22.7% (320/1408)

23.1% (298/1288)

18.3% (22/120)

23.2% (28/1230)

24.0% (58/242)

23.0% (227/988)

 Sauna

4.4% (62/1408)

4.3% (55/1288)

5.8% (7/120)

4.4% (54/1230)

5.4% (13/242)

4.2% (41/988)

Provided oral fluid sample

 No

38.3% (539/1408)

38.3% (493/1288)

38.3% (46/120)

37.5% (461/1230)

35.1% (85/242)

38.1% (376/988)

 Yes

61.7% (869/1408)

61.7% (795/1288)

61.7% (74/120)

62.5% (769/1230)

64.9% (157/242)

61.9% (612/988)

HIV Ab result5

 Indeterminate

0.5% (4/855)

0.1% (1/784)

4.2% (3/71)

0.1% (1/758)

0.7% (1/153)

0.0% (0/605)

 Negative

91.2% (780/855)

99.1% (777/784)

4.2% (3/71)

99.1% (751/758)

97.4% (149/153)

99.5% (602/605)

 Positive

8.3% (71/855)

0.8% (6/784)

91.6% (65/71)

0.8% (6/758)

2.0% (3/153)

0.5% (3/605)

Sociodemographic characteristics

Age

 Mean [Standard deviation]

37 [11.2]

37 [11.1]

44 [10.0]

37 [11.1]

35 [9.2]

37 [11.5]

 Median [Interquartile range]

35 [29–45]

35 [28–44]

45 [37–51]

35 [28–44]

33 [28–41]

35 [29–45]

Age-group

 18–24

10.0% (139/1392)

10.8% (138/1276)

0.9% (1/116)

10.8% (132/1220)

8.7% (21/241)

11.3% (111/979)

 25–34

37.6% (523/1392)

39.1% (499/1276)

20.7% (24/116)

38.5% (470/1220)

22.6% (106/241)

37.2% (364/979)

 35–44

27.4% (381/1392)

27.3% (348/1276)

28.5% (33/116)

27.5% (336/1220)

35.3% (85/241)

25.6% (251/979)

 ≥ 45

25.1% (349/1392)

22.8% (291/1276)

50.0% (58/116)

23.1% (282/1220)

12.0% (29/241)

25.8% (253/979)

Ethnic group

 White

75.5% (1062/1406)

75.5% (971/1286)

75.8% (91/120)

75.5% (927/1228)

71.9% (174/242)

76.4% (753/986)

 Black

4.1% (57/1406)

3.9% (50/1286)

5.8% (7/120)

3.9% (48/1228)

3.3% (8/242)

4.1% (40/986)

 South East Asian

2.2% (31/1406)

2.4% (31/1286)

0.0% (0/120)

2.3% (28/1228)

2.9% (7/242)

2.1% (21/986)

 Asian

4.3% (61/1406)

4.6% (59/1286)

1.7% (2/120)

4.6% (57/1228)

5.4% (13/242)

4.5% (44/986)

 Latin American

4.9% (69/1406)

4.4% (57/1286)

10.0% (12/120)

4.5% (55/1228)

5.4% (13/242)

4.3% (42/986)

 Mixed/Other

9.0% (126/1406)

9.2% (118/1286)

6.7% (8/120)

9.2% (113/1228)

11.2% (27/242)

8.7% (86/986)

UK-born

 No

45.6% (642/1386)

46.4% (589 /1269)

45.3% (53/117)

46.1% (559/1213)

49.6% (118/238)

45.2% (441/975)

 Yes

53.7% (744/1386)

53.6% (680/1269)

54.7% (64/117)

53.9% (654/1213)

50.4% (120/238)

54.8% (534/975)

Residence

 London

81.0% (1133/1399)

80.2% (1026/1280)

89.9% (107/119)

80.1% (980/1223)

84.1% (201/239)

79.2% (779/984)

 Outside London

11.6% (162/1399)

12.0% (153/1280)

7.6% (9/119)

12.0% (147/1223)

8.4% (20/239)

12.9% (127/984)

 Outside UK

7.4% (104/1399)

7.9% (101/1280)

2.5% (3/119)

7.9% (96/1223)

7.5% (18/239)

7.9% (78/984)

Current employment

 No

12.6% (175/1393)

12.2% (155/1274)

16.8% (20/119)

12.0% (146/1218)

10.0% (24/240)

12.5% (122/978)

 Yes

87.4% (1218/1393)

87.8% (1119/1274)

83.2% (99/119)

88.0% (1072/1218)

90.0% (216/240)

87.5% (856/978)

Education since age 16

 0–2 years

16.1% (222/1377)

15.6% (196/1260)

22.2% (26/117)

15.5% (187/1205)

10.9% (26/238)

16.7% (161/967)

  ≥ 2 years/still full-time

83.9% (1155/1377)

84.4% (1064/1260)

77.8% (91/117)

84.5% (1018/1205)

89.1% (212/238)

83.4% (806/967)

Service engagement and outcomes

SHC visit in the last year

 No

30.0% (416/1389)

32.0% (406/1269)

8.3% (10/120)

32.2% (392/1216)

2.9% (7/241)

39.5% (385/975)

 Yes

70.1% (973/1389)

68.0% (863/1269)

91.7% (110/120)

67.8% (824/1216)

97.1% (234/241)

60.5% (590/975)

Last HIV test

 Last 3 months

46.6% (642/1378)

47.0% (597/1269)

41.3% (45/109)

47.5% (577/1214)

88.8% (213/240)

37.4% (364/974)

 Between 3–12 months ago

24.6% (339/1378)

25.7% (326/1269)

11.9% (13/109)

25.1% (305/1214)

7.9% (24/240)

28.9% (281/974)

 More than a year ago

16.9% (233/1378)

17.8% (226/1269)

6.4% (7/109)

18.0% (218/1214)

0.8% (2/240)

22.2% (216/974)

 Over 5 years ago

7.7% (106/1378)

5.0% (63/1269)

39.5% (43/109)

5.0% (60/1214)

0.4% (1/240)

6.1% (59/974)

 Never

4.2% (58/1378)

4.5% (57/1269)

0.9% (1/109)

4.5% (54/1214)

0.0% (0/240)

5.5% (54/974)

 ≥ 4 HIV tests in the last year

 No

80.8% (996/1248)

79.1% (924/1168)

7.2% (72/80)

78.8% (879/1116)

42.0% (99/236)

88.6% (780/880)

 Yes

20.2% (252/1248)

20.9% (244/1168)

10.0% (8/80)

21.2% (237/1116)

58.1% (137/236)

11.4% (100/880)

 ≥ 4 STI tests in the last year

 No

82.4% (1053/1278)

82.0% (956/1166)

86.6% (97/112)

81.8% (918/1123)

50.0% (116/232)

90.0% (802/891)

 Yes

17.6% (225/1278)

18.0% (210/1166)

13.4% (15/112)

18.3% (205/1123)

50.0% (116/232)

10.0% (89/891)

STI diagnosis in the last year

 No

75.4% (1036/1375)

76.4% (960/1256)

63.9% (76/119)

76.5% (921/1204)

41.1% (99/241)

85.4% (822/963)

 Yes

24.7% (339/1375)

23.6% (296/1256)

36.1% (43/119)

23.5% (283/1204)

58.9% (142/241)

14.6% (141/963)

Sexual risk and prevention behaviours

CAS in the last 3 months

 No

48.5% (668/1378)

49.5% (625/1262)

37.1% (43/116)

49.7% (603/1213)

17.1% (41/240)

57.8% (562/973)

 Yes

51.5% (710/1378)

50.5% (637/1262)

62.9% (73/116)

50.3% (610/1213)

82.9% (199/240)

42.2% (411/973)

 ≥ 5 CAS partners in the last year

 No

77.9% (968/1242)

79.4% (904/1138)

61.5% (64/104)

79.3% (867/1093)

39.9% (93/233)

90.0% (774/860)

 Yes

22.1% (274/1242)

20.6% (234/1138)

38.5% (40/104)

20.7% (226/1093)

60.1% (140/233)

10.0% (86/860)

Chemsex in the last year6

 No

82.5% (1105/1340)

83.7% (1025/1225)

69.6% (80/115)

83.8% (988/1179)

66.0% (153/232)

88.2% (835/947)

 Yes

17.5% (235/1340)

16.3% (200/1225)

30.4% (35/115)

16.2% (191/1179)

34.1% (79/232)

11.8% (112/947)

Ever used PEP

 No

83.8% (1156/1380)

83.8% (1062/1268)

83.9% (94/112)

83.8% (1023/1221)

58.6% (140/239)

89.9% (883/982)

 Yes

16.3% (224/1380)

16.3% (206/1268)

16.1% (18/112)

16.2% (198/1221)

41.4% (99/239)

10.1% (99/982)

Purchase of antibiotics to prevent STIs7

 No

94.2% (1257/1335)

94.9% (1154/1216)

86.6% (103/119)

95.0% (1106/1165)

87.2% (204/234)

96.9% (902/931)

 Yes

5.8% (78/1335)

5.1% (62/1216)

13.5% (16/119)

5.0% (59/1165)

12.8% (30/234)

3.1% (29/931)

PrEP use in the last year

 No

.

77.9% (954/1224)

.

78.1% (952/1219)

12.0% (29/241)

94.4% (923/978)

 Yes

.

22.1% (270/1224)

.

21.9% (267/1219)

88.0% (212/241)

5.6% (55/978)

Current PrEP use

 No

.

80.3% (988/1230)

.

.

.

.

 Yes

.

19.7% (242/1230)

.

.

.

.

  1. 1Self-identified men, including trans men, who self-reported as gay or bisexual, or who had sex with a man in the last year and did not previously participant in the survey in the last three months
  2. 2Based on self-perceived HIV status; where self-reported HIV status not specified, based on report of last HIV test as positive or antiretroviral medication use
  3. 3Self-perceived HIV-negative/unknown MSM
  4. 4Where information on current PrEP use was provided
  5. 5Where IgG > 0.200; excludes 14 samples
  6. 6Chemsex defined as self-reported use of ketamine, gamma hydroxybutyrate(GHB)/gamma butyrolactone(GBL), mephedrone and/or meth amphetamine before or during sex
  7. 7Private or internet purchase. PrEP = HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis. MSM = men who have sex with men. CAS = condomless anal sex. STI = sexually transmitted infection. SHC sexual health clinic
Back to article page

BMC Public Health

ISSN: 1471-2458

Contact us