FACTOR RELATED TO HIV TESTING OF MEN WHO HAVE SEX WITH MEN (MSM) IN KHONKEAN PROVINCE

Abstract

This case-control study aimed at investigating factors related to undergoing HIV testing among men who have sex with men (referred to as MSM) in Khon Kaen Province. The sample groups included 184 males, divided into a study group and a control group at a 1:1 ratio. The study group consisted of those MSM, who first underwent the HIV test in 2017; whereas, the control group consisted of those MSM, who had never undergone the HIV test before. The data collection was carried out with an online questionnaire available on the QR-code Line mobile application. Later, the multiple conditional logistic regression was employed for data analysis. The relationship between factors were measured by the adjusted odds ratio (OR_adj) with a confidence level of 95%.

The analysis revealed that there are many factors that influence the decision to undergo HIV testing among MSM with a statistical significance of 0.05. These related factors included being a government employee or working in the public sector (OR_adj=6.54, 95% CI: 1.57–27.20); having a medical history of STD’s (OR_adj=24.79, 95% CI: 4.28–143.30); learning about the same-day result service (OR_adj=22.78, 95% CI: 7.07–73.40); receiving counseling from public healthcare personnel (OR_adj=3.41, 95% CI: 1.00–11.62); and the Mobile Voluntary Counseling and Testing (Mobile VCT) requested by the MSM mainstays (OR_adj=8.84, 95% CI: 2.86–27.33).

The findings indicated that an awareness of the risk of exposure to HIV via MSM in

Khon Kaen Province seemed to be an insignificant factor in affecting their decisions to take an HIV test offered at the healthcare centers. Conversely, with respect to gathering MSM individuals, an adjustment of healthcare services, which are particularly concerned with HIV testing, such as the same-day result service, Mobile Voluntary Counseling and Testing (Mobile VCT), and the proactivity and encouragement of the MSM community mainstays in each district, were the most important factors, which had greatly influenced MSM to undergo HIV testing.