Correlates of HIV Infection among Men who have Sex with Men in Mvita Sub-County, Mombasa County, Kenya

Abstract

Purpose: The broad objective of the study was to determine the correlates of HIV infection among men who have sex with men in Mvita sub-county, Mombasa County, by December 2020. Methodology: Descriptive cross-sectional study design using quantitative methods was used to collect data from a study population which included 121 HIV positive and 119 HIV negative MSM.  The respondent-driven sampling (RDS) was used to obtain the sample of respondents while chi-square and multivariable logistic regression were used to identify the variables which were associated with HIV infection. Data generated from the questionnaires was collected, cleaned, coded and analyzed using STATA software Version 17. Level of significance was fixed at p=0.05, with a 95% confidence interval. Findings: Majority of the MSM (51%) were between 19-29 years, were single (71%), were christian (60%) had attained primary education (45%), were working (63%), 55% had an income of less than Ksh. 5000 but only 38% were married to a female. Majority (91%) of HIV negative MSM accessed PEP/PrEP and only 70% used PEP/PrEP for HIV prevention. However, majority (60%) of HIV positive MSM had anal sex with multiple casual male partners, 49% sometimes had condomless insertive anal sex while 49% had condomless receptive anal sex. HIV positive MSM also had anal sex more than once while high on alcohol (41%), always used drugs before engaging in anal sex (33%) and were non-adherent to ARVs, PrEP/PEP due to lack of transport (66%), alcohol use (24%), and drug use (15%), among other factors. Unique Contribution to Theory, Practice and Policy: From the study findings, the Government/NGO must address the MSM issues for instance, by increasing the number of HIV programmes targeting MSM, adequately funding them and actively engaging the MSM in running the them. Also, by sensitizing the communities, human right groups, religious leaders, politicians and other stake holders on matters pertaining MSM and lobbying for the review of the laws that criminalizes same sex relationship.