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Casual Sex among Men Who Have Sex with Men (MSM) during the Period of Sheltering in Place to Prevent the Spread of COVID-19

Author

Listed:
  • Alvaro Francisco Lopes de Sousa

    (Human Exposome and Infectious Diseases Network, Escola de Enfermagem de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto 14040-902, Brazil
    Global Health and Tropical Medicine, Instituto de Higiene e Medicina Tropical, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, 1349-008 Lisboa, Portugal)

  • Layze Braz de Oliveira

    (Human Exposome and Infectious Diseases Network, Escola de Enfermagem de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto 14040-902, Brazil)

  • Artur Acelino Francisco Luz Nunes Queiroz

    (Human Exposome and Infectious Diseases Network, Escola de Enfermagem de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto 14040-902, Brazil)

  • Herica Emilia Félix de Carvalho

    (Human Exposome and Infectious Diseases Network, Escola de Enfermagem de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto 14040-902, Brazil)

  • Guilherme Schneider

    (Human Exposome and Infectious Diseases Network, Escola de Enfermagem de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto 14040-902, Brazil)

  • Emerson Lucas Silva Camargo

    (Human Exposome and Infectious Diseases Network, Escola de Enfermagem de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto 14040-902, Brazil)

  • Telma Maria Evangelista de Araújo

    (Departamento de Enfermagem, Universidade Federal do Piauí, Teresina 64049-550, Brazil)

  • Sandra Brignol

    (Departamento de Saúde Coletiva, Universidade Federal Fluminense, Niterói 24220-900, Brazil)

  • Isabel Amélia Costa Mendes

    (Human Exposome and Infectious Diseases Network, Escola de Enfermagem de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto 14040-902, Brazil)

  • Inês Fronteira

    (Global Health and Tropical Medicine, Instituto de Higiene e Medicina Tropical, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, 1349-008 Lisboa, Portugal)

  • Willi McFarland

    (Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of California at San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA)

Abstract

Objectives: We investigated the extent to which Brazilian and Portuguese Men Who Have Sex with Men (MSM) had casual sex partners outside their homes during the period of sheltering in place for the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: An online survey was conducted in Brazil and Portugal in April, during the period of social isolation for COVID-19, with a sample of 2361 MSMs. Recruitment was done through meeting apps and Facebook. Results: Most of the sample (53.0%) had casual sex partners during sheltering. Factors that increased the odds of engaging in casual sex in Brazil were having group sex (aOR 2.1, 95% CI 1.3–3.4), living in an urban area (aOR 1.6, 95% CI 1.1–2.2), feeling that sheltering had a high impact on daily life (aOR 3.0, 95% CI 1.1–8.3), having casual instead of steady partners (aOR 2.5, 95% CI 1.8–3.5), and not decreasing the number of partners (aOR 6.5, 95% CI 4.2–10.0). In Portugal, the odds of engaging in casual sex increased with using Facebook to find partners (aOR 4.6, 95% CI 3.0–7.2), not decreasing the number of partners (aOR 3.8, 95% CI 2.9–5.9), usually finding partners in physical venues (pre-COVID-19) (aOR 5.4, 95% CI 3.2–8.9), feeling that the isolation had a high impact on daily life (aOR 3.0, 95% CI 1.3–6.7), and HIV-positive serostatus (aOR 11.7, 95% CI 4.7–29.2). Taking PrEP/Truvada to prevent COVID-19 was reported by 12.7% of MSM. Conclusions: The pandemic has not stopped most of our MSM sample from finding sexual partners, with high-risk sexual behaviors continuing.

Suggested Citation

  • Alvaro Francisco Lopes de Sousa & Layze Braz de Oliveira & Artur Acelino Francisco Luz Nunes Queiroz & Herica Emilia Félix de Carvalho & Guilherme Schneider & Emerson Lucas Silva Camargo & Telma Maria, 2021. "Casual Sex among Men Who Have Sex with Men (MSM) during the Period of Sheltering in Place to Prevent the Spread of COVID-19," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(6), pages 1-11, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:18:y:2021:i:6:p:3266-:d:521721
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Emanuel Missias Silva Palma & Anderson Reis de Sousa & Jules Ramon Brito Teixeira & Wanderson Carneiro Moreira & Ana Caroline Monteiro de Araújo & Luiz Filipe Vieira Souza & Júlio Cézar Ramos dos Anjo, 2022. "Influence of Sociodemographic and Emotional Factors on the Relationship between Self-Compassion and Perceived Stress among Men Residing in Brazil during the COVID-19 Pandemic," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(13), pages 1-13, July.
    2. Alvaro Francisco Lopes de Sousa & Shirley Veronica Melo Almeida Lima & Caíque Jordan Nunes Ribeiro & Anderson Reis de Sousa & Nilo Manoel Pereira Vieira Barreto & Emerson Lucas Silva Camargo & Agostin, 2023. "Adherence to Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) among Men Who Have Sex with Men (MSM) in Portuguese-Speaking Countries," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(6), pages 1-16, March.

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