HIV Testing, Care, and Treatment Experiences among the Steady Male Partners of Female Sex Workers Living with HIV in the Dominican Republic

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Citation

Fleming, Paul J.; Barrington, Clare; Perez, Martha; Donastorg, Yeycy A.; & Kerrigan, Deanna L. (2016). HIV Testing, Care, and Treatment Experiences among the Steady Male Partners of Female Sex Workers Living with HIV in the Dominican Republic. AIDS Care, 28(6), 699-704. PMCID: PMC4888973

Abstract

Male steady partners of female sex workers (FSW) living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) represent a key population for treatment as prevention and/or pre-exposure prophylaxis interventions. This study uses data collected from male steady partners who were referred by FSW living with HIV participating in a multi-level HIV prevention and care intervention in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. We conducted a socio-behavioral survey and HIV testing with all men (n = 64) and 16 in-depth interviews with a sub-sample to obtain more depth. Thirty-five of the 64 participants were living with HIV; 27 were previously diagnosed and 8 were diagnosed during our study. As a result, 45% of men were members of sero-discordant sexual partnerships. Of men with no previous HIV diagnosis (n = 37), 15 had never been tested for HIV and nine had not been tested in the past two years. Ninety-three percent of men previously diagnosed with HIV reported receiving HIV care in the past 6 months and 78% were taking anti-retrovirals. Low HIV testing was partly due to men not feeling at risk for HIV, despite having an HIV-infected partner. Additionally, a lack of tailored care inhibited engagement in anti-retroviral treatment for those infected. HIV testing was low, highlighting a need for test-and-treat strategies. Men not living with HIV would benefit from regular testing and would be good candidates for pre-exposure prophylaxis. While almost all men who had been diagnosed with HIV were engaged in care and adherent to anti-retroviral therapy, future research should assess whether they are achieving optimal HIV outcomes for their health and prevention of ongoing transmission.

URL

http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/09540121.2016.1160027

Reference Type

Journal Article

Year Published

2016

Journal Title

AIDS Care

Author(s)

Fleming, Paul J.
Barrington, Clare
Perez, Martha
Donastorg, Yeycy A.
Kerrigan, Deanna L.

PMCID

PMC4888973

ORCiD

Barrington - 0000-0001-7802-4051