Can Commun Dis Rep ;45 11 β Keywords: HIV, sexually transmitted infections, sexual risk practices, gay bisexual and other men who have sex with men, gbMSM, preexposure prophylaxis, postexposure prophylaxis. It included self-reported sociodemographic data, experience of discrimination, mental health and substance use, knowledge of preexposure prophylaxis PrEP for HIV, sexual practices and history of STBBI testing and diagnosis. Analysis was largely descriptive.
Results: Of the 6, respondents from Canada, 5, participants met the inclusion criteria for this analysis. The majority of participants were born in Canada In terms of discrimination related to their attraction to other men, participants reported high levels of intimidation Regarding mental health, Almost two-thirds Only 8. Sexual practices, such as condom use, varied by PrEP use with Of those with an HIV diagnosis, most were on treatment Conclusion: gbMSM in Canada experienced stigma, discrimination and mental health problems; substance use was high as were high-risk sexual practices, such as CAI, among some groups of men.
These findings can inform public health action and provide a baseline to examine the impact of current and new interventions. This survey collected data from gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men gbMSM living in 50 countries, with the aim of generating data useful for planning HIV and sexually transmitted infection STI prevention and care programs, and monitoring of progress in these areas Footnote 1. Canada participated in this survey for the first time.
In , it was estimated that gbMSM make up more than half Rates of syphilis and gonorrhea have increased over the past several years, with the increase among men largely in the gbMSM population in Canada Footnote 3 Footnote 4 Footnote 5 and internationally Footnote 6 Footnote 7.
The reasons for this are multifactorial. Among HIV-positive men, serosorting and knowledge of an undetectable viral load may lead to minimizing the risk of HIV transmission, which can lead to a concurrent decreased use of condoms, thus increasing the risk of other STBBIs Footnote 3 Footnote 4. Other factors that could be influencing rates of STBBIs include changing community norms and the use of illicit drugs to enhance sexual experiences i.
