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Sexually Transmitted Infections Among Young Men Who Have Sex with Men: Experiences with Diagnosis, Treatment, and Reinfection

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Abstract

Despite high rates of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) among young men who have sex with men (YMSM), little is known about their experiences with diagnosis, treatment, and reinfection. To fill this gap, we interviewed 17 YMSM ages 18–29 who participated in an online HIV prevention trial and tested positive for STIs at both the baseline and 3-month follow-up assessments. Participants were asked about their reactions to testing positive, experiences with treatment, disclosure to partners, and changes in thinking and behavior. Reactions were diverse, the most common being surprise and concern. Most participants sought treatment, although type of provider varied (e.g., primary care physician, clinic that specialized in gay/bisexual men’s health). Providers tended to retest participants, but some did so at the incorrect anatomical site. Participants who felt comfortable talking to providers about STIs tended to use their regular provider or one who specialized in gay/bisexual men’s health. Most participants described changes in their thinking and behavior (e.g., increased condom use, fewer sex partners, questioning whether or not they could trust their partners). Most participants disclosed to at least one partner, but some did not remember or were not in contact with partners. Experiences were similar the first and second time participants tested positive for STIs during the study with a few exceptions (e.g., more self-blame and comfort talking to providers the second time). In sum, YMSM have diverse experiences with STI diagnosis and treatment. Implications for public policy and STI prevention are discussed.

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Funding

This study was funded by grants from the National Institute on Drug Abuse and the National Institute of Mental Health (R01DA035145 and R01DA035145-02S1). Brian A. Feinstein’s time was also supported by a grant from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (F32DA042708). Simon Graham was funded by an Australian-American Fulbright postdoctoral scholarship, a McKenzie postdoctoral fellowship, and the Melbourne Poche Centre for Indigenous Health at the University of Melbourne, Australia. The content of this article is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily reflect the official views of the funding agencies. The authors thank the participants for their contributions and the CDC Division of STD Prevention Laboratory for performing the STI testing.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Medical Social Sciences, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, 60611, USA

    Brian A. Feinstein, Trey V. Dellucci & Brian Mustanski

  2. Northwestern University Institute for Sexual and Gender Minority Health and Wellbeing, Chicago, IL, USA

    Brian A. Feinstein, Trey V. Dellucci & Brian Mustanski

  3. Center for HIV Educational Studies & Training (CHEST), Hunter College of the City University of New York, New York, NY, USA

    Trey V. Dellucci, Simon Graham & Jeffrey T. Parsons

  4. Health Psychology and Clinical Science Doctoral Training Program, Graduate Center of the City University of New York, New York, NY, USA

    Trey V. Dellucci & Jeffrey T. Parsons

  5. Centre for Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Population and Global Health, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia

    Simon Graham

  6. Department of Psychology, Hunter College of the City University of New York, New York, NY, USA

    Jeffrey T. Parsons

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  1. Brian A. Feinstein
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  2. Trey V. Dellucci
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Correspondence to Brian Mustanski.

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All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards. This article does not contain any studies with animals performed by any of the authors.

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Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

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Feinstein, B.A., Dellucci, T.V., Graham, S. et al. Sexually Transmitted Infections Among Young Men Who Have Sex with Men: Experiences with Diagnosis, Treatment, and Reinfection. Sex Res Soc Policy 15, 172–182 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13178-017-0312-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13178-017-0312-y

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