Volume 30, Number 5—May 2024
Research
Mpox Diagnosis, Behavioral Risk Modification, and Vaccination Uptake among Gay, Bisexual, and Other Men Who Have Sex with Men, United Kingdom, 2022
, Qudsia Enayat, Jack R.G. Brown, Dawn Phillips, Ruth Wilkie, Danielle Jayes, David Reid, Gwenda Hughes, Catherine H. Mercer, John Saunders, Hamish Mohammed, and UK Health Security Agency Sexual Health Liaison Group1
Table 1
Sociodemographic and clinical characteristics of participants in a survey of mpox diagnosis, behavioral risk modification, and vaccination uptake among gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men, United Kingdom, 2022*
| Characteristics |
RiiSH-Mpox participants, no. (%) |
Mpox diagnosis history, no. (%) |
No mpox diagnosis history, no. (%) |
p value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total | 1,333 (100) | 35 (100) | 1,298 (100) | |
| Recruitment site | ||||
| 769 (58) | 28 (80) | 741 (57) | ||
| Grindr | 316 (24) | 5 (14) | 311 (24) | |
| 198 (15) | 2 (6) | 196 (15) | ||
| 18 (1) | 0 | 18 (1) | ||
| Other |
32 (2) |
0 |
32 (2) |
0.099 |
| Sociodemographic characteristics | ||||
| Median age, y (range; IQR) | 45 (16–78; 35–55) | 42 (25–58; 38–47) | 45 (16–78; 35–55) | |
| Binary age group, y | ||||
| <35 | 319 (24) | 3 (9) | 316 (24) | |
| >35 | 1,014 (76) | 32 (91) | 982 (76) | 0.031 |
| Gender identity, sex at birth | ||||
| Cisgender male | 1,314 (99) | 30 (86) | 1,193 (92) | |
| Other gender identity group | 19 (1) | 0 | 19 (1) | 0.376 |
| Sexual orientation | ||||
| Gay or homosexual | 1,187 (89) | 32 (91) | 1,155 (89) | |
| Bisexual† | 146 (11) | 3 (9) | 143 (11) | 0.648 |
| Ethnicity | ||||
| White | 1,223 (92) | 45 (87) | 1,178 (92) | |
| Non-White | 110 (8) | 5 (14) | 105 (8) | 0.189 |
| Country of birth | ||||
| United Kingdom | 1,113 (83) | 22 (63) | 1,091 (84) | |
| Outside the United Kingdom | 220 (17) | 13 (37) | 207 (16) | 0.001 |
| Nation of residence | ||||
| England | 1,148 (86) | 34 (97) | 1,114 (86) | |
| Scotland, Wales, or Northern Ireland | 185 (14) | 1 (3) | 184 (14) | 0.056 |
| Educational level | ||||
| Below degree level | 495 (37) | 7 (20) | 488 (38) | |
| Degree level or higher |
838 (63) |
28 (80) |
810 (62) |
0.033 |
| Clinical and behavioral characteristics | ||||
| HIV status | ||||
| Negative or unknown | 1,131 (85) | 22 (63) | 1,109 (85) | |
| Living with HIV | 202 (15) | 13 (37) | 189 (15) | 0.001 |
| STI tested in past year | ||||
| N | 405 (30) | 1 (3) | 404 (31) | |
| Y | 928 (70) | 34 (97) | 894 (69) | <0.001 |
| Recreational drug use associated with chemsex in past year‡ | ||||
| N | 1,222 (92) | 27 (77) | 1,195 (92) | |
| Y | 111 (8) | 8 (23) | 103 (8) | 0.002 |
| Number of recent male physical sexual partners since August 2022 | ||||
| 0 | 100 (8) | 1 (3) | 99 (8) | |
| 1 | 180 (14) | 2 (6) | 178 (14) | |
| 2–4 | 389 (29) | 9 (26) | 380 (29) | |
| 5–9 | 280 (21) | 6 (17) | 274 (21) | |
| >10 | 384 (29) | 17 (49) | 367 (28) | 0.094 |
| Met recent male physical sex partners in sex on premises venue, sex party, or PSE since August 2022 | ||||
| N | 888 (67) | 17 (49) | 871 (67) | |
| Y | 445 (33) | 18 (51) | 427 (33) | 0.022 |
| Behavior modification to avoid getting mpox since May 2022§ | ||||
| N | 626 (47) | 18 (51) | 608 (47) | |
| Y | 707 (53) | 17 (49) | 690 (53) | 0.592 |
*Participants with self-reported mpox test positivity. Those without mpox test positivity (i.e., no diagnosis history) include those without a known positive test (n = 67) and those without a test history (n = 1,231). Percentages may not sum to 100 due to rounding. PSE, public sex environment (i.e., cruising grounds); RiiSH-Mpox, Reducing inequalities in Sexual Health Mpox survey; STI, sexually transmitted infection. †Includes those identifying as bisexual, straight, or another orientation. ‡Includes crystal methamphetamine, mephedrone, or gamma-hydroxybutyrate/gamma-butyrolactone. §Behavior modification includes self-report of any of the following from May 2022: fewer sexual partners, reduced visits to sex on premises venues or PSE (i.e., cruising grounds), and avoiding: all sex, condomless anal sex, skin-to-skin contact, or visiting clubs or crowds.
1Members of this group are listed at the end of this article.