Theme: Clinical Research Year: 2018
Background: The objectives of our study were to evaluate the factors associated with HCV infection in HIV positive men who have sex with men (MSM). Giving a special focus on sexualized drug use (SDU) and high-risk sexual behaviours. Methods: Participants (HIV positive MSM) were recruited from the U-SEX GESIDA study in 22 HIVclinics in Madrid during 2016. All of them completed a cross-sectional anonymous survey on sexual behaviour and recreational drug use. Results: From 742 HIV positive MSM who completed the survey, 82 (11%) had been diagnosed with HCV, 216 (29,1%) practiced chemsex or sexualized drug use (SDU) in the last year and of these, 34 (15,7%) had practiced slamsex (intravenous SDU). Patients with a diagnosis of HCV practiced chemsex (66%vs.24%), slamsex (26%vs.2%), snorted drugs (69%vs.31%), were involved in polydrug use (38%vs.10%), and used drugs intra-rectally (24%vs.4%) more frequently than those patients without HCV. Patients with HCV more frequently practiced high-risk sex: unprotected anal intercourse (82%vs.53%), >20 sexual partners in the last 6 months (41%vs.16%), fisting (41%vs.14%), continuous sexual practices >12 hours (29%vs.7%), and were diagnosed with a sexual transmitted infection (STI) (96%vs.78%) more frequently than those patients without a diagnosis of HCV. In the multivariate analysis, slamsex or injecting drugs (AOR; 5, 95% CI; 1.8-13.2, P=0.001), prolonged sexual practices >12 hours (AOR; 2.6, 95% CI; 1.1-6.3, P=0.028), and the diagnosis with another STI (AOR; 17.4, 95% CI; 2.2-135, P=0.006) were significantly associated with a HCV diagnosis after adjusting for those statistically significant variables in the univariate analysis. Conclusion: In HIV positive MSM, HCV infection was associated with the injection of recreational drugs (slamsex), prolonged sexual practices and the diagnosis of other STI. Disclosure of Interest Statement: Authors do not have potential conflicts of interest in relation to this work.
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