Sexual Behaviour and STI Incidence in Sexually Active MSM Living With HIV in Times of COVID-19

Catrina Mugglin; Kalongo Hamusonde; Luisa Salazar-Vizcaya; Katharina Kusejko; Dunja Nicca; David Haerry; Dominique L Braun; Marcel Stoeckle; Roger Kouyos; Alexandra Calmy; Matthias Cavassini; Michela Cipriani; Enos Bernasconi; Andri Rauch; Anna Hachfeld; Swiss HIV Cohort Study (SHCS)

doi:10.1093/ofid/ofad399

Sexual Behaviour and STI Incidence in Sexually Active MSM Living With HIV in Times of COVID-19

Open Forum Infect Dis. 2023 Jul 27;10(8):ofad399. doi: 10.1093/ofid/ofad399. eCollection 2023 Aug.

Authors

Catrina Mugglin¹, Kalongo Hamusonde¹, Luisa Salazar-Vizcaya¹, Katharina Kusejko^{2

3}, Dunja Nicca⁴, David Haerry⁵, Dominique L Braun^{2

3}, Marcel Stoeckle⁶, Roger Kouyos^{2

3}, Alexandra Calmy⁷, Matthias Cavassini⁸, Michela Cipriani⁹, Enos Bernasconi¹⁰, Andri Rauch¹, Anna Hachfeld¹; Swiss HIV Cohort Study (SHCS)

Collaborators

Swiss HIV Cohort Study (SHCS):
I Abela, K Aebi-Popp, A Anagnostopoulos, M Battegay, E Bernasconi, D L Braun, H C Bucher, A Calmy, M Cavassini, A Ciuffi, G Dollenmaier, M Egger, L Elzi, J Fehr, J Fellay, H Furrer, C A Fux, H F Günthard, A Hachfeld, D Haerry, B Hasse, H H Hirsch, M Hoffmann, I Hösli, M Huber, D Jackson-Perry, C R Kahlert, L Kaiser, O Keiser, T Klimkait, R D Kouyos, H Kovari, K Kusejko, N Labhardt, K Leuzinger, B Martinez de Tejada, C Marzolini, K J Metzner, N Müller, J Nemeth, D Nicca, J Notter, P Paioni, G Pantaleo, M Perreau, A Rauch, L Salazar-Vizcaya, P Schmid, R Speck, M Stöckle, P Tarr, A Trkola, G Wandeler, M Weisser, S Yerly

Affiliations

¹ Department of Infectious Diseases, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.
² Department of Infectious Diseases and Hospital Epidemiology, University Hospital Zurich, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
³ Institute of Medical Virology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
⁴ Department of Public & Global Health, Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Prevention Institute, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
⁵ Positivrat (Positive Council), Zurich, Switzerland.
⁶ Division of Infectious Diseases & Hospital Epidemiology, University Hospital Basel, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
⁷ HIV/AIDS Unit, Department of Infectious Diseases, Geneva University Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland.
⁸ Division of Infectious Diseases, University Hospital Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.
⁹ Division of Infectious Diseases and Hospital Epidemiology, Cantonal Hospital St Gallen, St Gallen, Switzerland.
¹⁰ Department of Infectious Diseases, Ente Ospedaliero Cantonale, Lugano, University of Geneva and University of Southern Switzerland, Lugano, Switzerland.

Abstract

Despite decreased numbers of sexual partners, the COVID-19 pandemic had limited impact on the prevalence of attending private sex parties, traveling for sex within Switzerland, and practicing chemsex in men with HIV who have sex with men. COVID-19 risk perception was low, and STI-diagnosis incidence rates remained stable over time.

Keywords: COVID-19; HIV; MSM; STIs; sexual behaviour.