EPIDEMIOLOGICAL AND MEDICO-SOCIAL CHARACTERISTICS OF MEN WHO HAVE SAME-SEX

Objective: to study the medical and social aspects, behavioral risks, the level of awareness of HIV infection and pre-contact HIV prevention among men who have sex with men. Materials and methods. The sources of information were official statistics and the results of rapid testing for HIV infection among 2,295 individuals classified as MSM. The study of the level of awareness and attitudes towards pre-contact prophylaxis of HIV infection among MSM was carried out through voluntary anonymous questionnaires. The questionnaires included 12 open and closed type questions developed by the authors. Results and its discussion. The obtained data demonstrated a high level of HIV infection detection rate among the MSM group, which, according to rapid testing, averaged 2.8% for 2016–2018, which is 7 times higher than the detection rate among the general population. Anonymous questionnaire data revealed a high level of MSM awareness regarding HIV infection. Conclusion The result of the study showed that MSM use barrier contraceptives to a greater extent and are not ready to use pre-exposure prophylaxis. But the results of rapid testing indicate high risks of HIV infection in this group and, therefore, the need to find approaches to solving these issues, including using pre-contact prophylaxis.

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