Assessing the Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Sexual Behaviors of Men Who Have Sex with Men in the United States Restricted; Files Only

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly impacted many communities in the US, including men who have sex with men. In order to investigate the impacts of the pandemic on the behavior of American MSM, we utilized data from the American Men’s Internet Survey which is a cross-sectional survey of American MSM that is conducted annually. We analyzed the responses of 41,973 participants, collected between July 2017 and March 2022. Modeling was used in order to identify temporal trends in the sexual behaviors of MSM. We found significant increases in the number of participants who reported condomless anal intercourse, especially serodiscordant condomless anal intercourse, regardless of HIV status. This is a concerning trend for existing HIV prevention efforts, especially among black MSM where the majority of new HIV infections are occurring. We also detected a significant increase in the number of participants who do not know their current HIV status, likely indicative of HIV testing interruptions as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. In order for future public health crises to not produce similar negative effects in vulnerable populations, it is critical for the data produced in this analysis to be utilized by public health professionals and policy makers to adjust current US HIV prevention campaigns and efforts to address the vulnerabilities that have been revealed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Table of Contents

Introduction .................................................................................... 1

Methods .......................................................................................... 3

Results ............................................................................................ 5

Discussion ....................................................................................... 7

Tables ............................................................................................ 10

Figures ........................................................................................... 14

References ...................................................................................... 18

About this Master's Thesis

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School	Rollins School of Public Health
Department	Epidemiology
Subfield / Discipline	Epidemiology - MPH & MSPH
Degree	M.P.H.
Submission	Master's Thesis
Language	English
Research Field	Health Sciences, Public Health
Keyword	Sexual Health LGBTQ+ Health Sexual Behaviors HIV Prevention
Committee Chair / Thesis Advisor	Travis Sanchez, Emory University

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