Psychological threat avoidance as a barrier to HIV testing in gay/bisexual men

Abstract

The present study examined how three psychosocial barriers-anticipated HIV stigma, HIV infectiousness-reduction beliefs, and optimism about available HIV treatments-related to HIV testing history and acceptance of an at-home HIV test among men who have sex with men. We also examined the mediating role of a variable that affects medical screening for other health conditions but has not yet been investigated in HIV contexts: the tendency to avoid psychologically threatening information. Volunteers completed a paper and pencil survey and were offered a free at-home HIV test during the 2015 Atlanta Pride Festival in Atlanta, GA. Anticipated HIV stigma, infectiousness beliefs, and treatment optimism were inconsistently related to HIV testing history and acceptance of an at-home HIV test, but all had direct effects on the desire to avoid HIV information. In a mediation model, each of these psychosocial barriers had indirect effects on both HIV testing outcomes via information avoidance. These findings suggest that information avoidance is an important proximal HIV testing barrier, thus providing a novel target for interventions and information campaigns. Keywords HIV testing Á Decision making Á Psychosocial barriers Á Medical testing Á MSM Despite advances in HIV treatment and testing technologies, new infections currently outpace prevention efforts. In 2015, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported 39,513 new HIV infections in the United States (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2015b). The geographic epicenter of HIV diagnoses has shifted geographically since early diagnoses (e.g., 1981), from the northeast and west coast to the southern United States (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2016a). Atlanta, Georgia, for example, ranked first among cities for number of new HIV infections in 2015 (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2015a). Men who have sex with men (MSM) remain the predominant group affected by HIV infection, accounting for approximately two-thirds of all new HIV infections each year (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2016b). As the diagnostic gateway to care, the CDC has focused on HIV testing, recommending that sexually active MSM get tested every 4-6 months (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2014a). Despite intensive efforts to increase testing ratesincluding no longer requiring time-consuming risk reduction counseling, and the availability of rapid testing-an

Determinants of HIV late presentation among men who have sex with men in Portugal (2014–2019): who’s being left behind?

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Can Self-affirmation Encourage HIV-Prevention? Evidence from Female Sex Workers in Senegal

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Understanding the Barriers of HIV Testing Services for Men Who Have Sex With Men and Transgender Women in Bangladesh: A Qualitative Study

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