HIV risk behavior profiles among men who have sex with men interested in donating blood: Findings from the Assessing Donor Variability and New Concepts in Eligibility study
Corresponding Author
Brian Custer
Vitalant Research Institute, San Francisco, California, USA
Department of Laboratory Medicine, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
Correspondence
Brian Custer, Vitalant Research Institute, 360 Spear St, Suite 200, San Francisco, CA, 94105, USA.
Email: [email protected]
Search for more papers by this authorBarbee I. Whitaker
U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, Silver Spring, Maryland, USA
Search for more papers by this authorLance M. Pollack
Department of Laboratory Medicine, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
Search for more papers by this authorRenata Buccheri
Vitalant Research Institute, San Francisco, California, USA
Department of Laboratory Medicine, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
Search for more papers by this authorRoberta L. Bruhn
Vitalant Research Institute, San Francisco, California, USA
Department of Laboratory Medicine, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
Search for more papers by this authorLauren A. Crowder
American Red Cross, Scientific Affairs, Rockville, Maryland, USA
Search for more papers by this authorSusan L. Stramer
American Red Cross, Scientific Affairs, Gaithersburg, Maryland, USA
Search for more papers by this authorSuchitra Pandey
Stanford Blood Center & Stanford University, Palo Alto, California, USA
Search for more papers by this authorMars Stone
Vitalant Research Institute, San Francisco, California, USA
Department of Laboratory Medicine, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
Search for more papers by this authorClara Di Germanio
Vitalant Research Institute, San Francisco, California, USA
Department of Laboratory Medicine, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
Search for more papers by this authorKate Buchacz
U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, HIV Research Branch, Division of HIV Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
Search for more papers by this authorAnne F. Eder
U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, Silver Spring, Maryland, USA
Search for more papers by this authorYun Lu
U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, Silver Spring, Maryland, USA
Search for more papers by this authorRichard A. Forshee
U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, Silver Spring, Maryland, USA
Search for more papers by this authorSteven A. Anderson
U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, Silver Spring, Maryland, USA
Search for more papers by this authorPeter W. Marks
U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, Silver Spring, Maryland, USA
Search for more papers by this authorCorresponding Author
Brian Custer
Vitalant Research Institute, San Francisco, California, USA
Department of Laboratory Medicine, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
Correspondence
Brian Custer, Vitalant Research Institute, 360 Spear St, Suite 200, San Francisco, CA, 94105, USA.
Email: [email protected]
Search for more papers by this authorBarbee I. Whitaker
U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, Silver Spring, Maryland, USA
Search for more papers by this authorLance M. Pollack
Department of Laboratory Medicine, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
Search for more papers by this authorRenata Buccheri
Vitalant Research Institute, San Francisco, California, USA
Department of Laboratory Medicine, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
Search for more papers by this authorRoberta L. Bruhn
Vitalant Research Institute, San Francisco, California, USA
Department of Laboratory Medicine, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
Search for more papers by this authorLauren A. Crowder
American Red Cross, Scientific Affairs, Rockville, Maryland, USA
Search for more papers by this authorSusan L. Stramer
American Red Cross, Scientific Affairs, Gaithersburg, Maryland, USA
Search for more papers by this authorSuchitra Pandey
Stanford Blood Center & Stanford University, Palo Alto, California, USA
Search for more papers by this authorMars Stone
Vitalant Research Institute, San Francisco, California, USA
Department of Laboratory Medicine, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
Search for more papers by this authorClara Di Germanio
Vitalant Research Institute, San Francisco, California, USA
Department of Laboratory Medicine, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
Search for more papers by this authorKate Buchacz
U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, HIV Research Branch, Division of HIV Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
Search for more papers by this authorAnne F. Eder
U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, Silver Spring, Maryland, USA
Search for more papers by this authorYun Lu
U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, Silver Spring, Maryland, USA
Search for more papers by this authorRichard A. Forshee
U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, Silver Spring, Maryland, USA
Search for more papers by this authorSteven A. Anderson
U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, Silver Spring, Maryland, USA
Search for more papers by this authorPeter W. Marks
U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, Silver Spring, Maryland, USA
Search for more papers by this authorThe views expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official position of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Abstract
Background
Individual risk assessment allows donors to be evaluated based on their own behaviors. Study objectives were to assess human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) risk behaviors in men who have sex with men (MSM) and estimate the proportion of the study population who would not be deferred for higher risk HIV sexual behaviors.
Study Design and Methods
Cross-sectional survey and biomarker assessment were conducted in eight U.S. cities. Participants were sexually active MSM interested in blood donation aged 18–39 years, assigned male sex at birth. Participants completed surveys during two study visits to define eligibility, and self-reported sexual and HIV prevention behaviors. Blood was drawn at study visit 1 and tested for HIV and the presence of tenofovir, one of the drugs in oral HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP). Associations were assessed between HIV infection status or HIV PrEP use and behaviors, including sex partners, new partners, and anal sex.
Results
A total of 1566 MSM completed the visit 1 questionnaire and blood draw and 1197 completed the visit 2 questionnaire. Among 1562 persons without HIV, 789 (50.4%) were not taking PrEP. Of those not taking PrEP, 66.2% reported one sexual partner or no anal sex and 69% reported no new sexual partners or no anal sex with a new partner in the past 3 months.
Conclusion
The study found that questions were able to identify sexually active, HIV-negative MSM who report lower risk sexual behaviors. About a quarter of enrolled study participants would be potentially eligible blood donors using individual risk assessment questions.
CONFLICT OF INTEREST STATEMENT
The authors have disclosed no conflicts of interest.
Supporting Information
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Please note: The publisher is not responsible for the content or functionality of any supporting information supplied by the authors. Any queries (other than missing content) should be directed to the corresponding author for the article.
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