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. 2025 Aug 25;20:33. doi: 10.1186/s13011-025-00661-x

Table 2.

Study population characteristics at baseline according to drug use groups (N = 2 493 participants, 19 375 follow-up visits)

M0
DU* Non-DU** p-value§ CX*** p-value§ Total
(N = 562) (N = 1 566) No-DU vs. DU (N = 365) CX vs. DU (N = 2 493)
n(%)

Agea (years)

Mean (± SD)

Median [IQR]

35.0 (± 9)

34 [28–41]

37.0 (± 10.0)

36 [29–44]

< 0.001

38.0 (± 9.0)

37 [31–44]

< 0.001

37.0 (± 10.0)

36 [29–43]

Education level a
Upper secondary school certificate or lower 69 (12.3) 221 (14.1) 0.929 50 (13.7) 1.000 340 (13.6)
Tertiary education below Master’s degree 213 (37.9) 541 (34.5) 0.508 141 (38.6) 1.000 895 (35.9)
Master’s degree or higher 280 (49.8) 804 (51.3) 1.000 174 (47.7) 1.000 1258 (50.5)
Living alone a 329 (58.5) 911 (58.2) 1.000 216 (59.2) 1.000 1456 (58.4)
Perceived financial situation
Comfortable 176 (31.3) 440 (28.1) 0.494 92 (25.2) 0.160 708 (28.4)
You get by 207 (36.8) 695 (44.4) 0.007 154 (42.2) 0.352 1056 (42.4)
It’s hard to make ends meet 179 (31.9) 431 (27.5) 0.175 119 (32.6) 1.000 729 (29.2)
PrEP-experienced before enrolment a 322 (57.3) 840 (53.7) 0.446 254 (69.8) 0.001 1416 (56.8)

Center for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression scale score

Mean (± SD)

Median [IQR]

15.0 (± 10.0)

13 [8–20]

15.0 (± 10.0)

13 [8–20]

1.000

16.0 (± 11.0)

15 [8–22]

0.032

15.0 (± 10.0)

13 [8–20]

Rosenberg self-esteem scale score

Mean (± SD)

Median [IQR]

31.6 (± 5.3)

32 [28–36]

32.0 (± 5.3)

32 [29–36]

0.230

31.1 (± 5.5)

31 [28–36]

0.552

31.8 (± 5.3)

32 [28–36]

Feeling…
Very supported 128 (22.9) 233 (14.9) < 0.001 58 (16.0) 0.040 419 (16.9)
Quite supported 242 (43.3) 774 (49.6) 0.033 162 (44.6) 1.000 1178 (47.4)
Quite or very alone 189 (33.8) 555 (35.5) 1.000 143 (39.4) 0.296 887 (35.7)
Lifetime care received from a professional for mental health problems 299 (53.6) 671 (43.0) < 0.001 172 (47.5) 0.245 1142 (46.0)
Lifetime medical treatment or hospitalization for mental health problems 173 (31.0) 413 (26.5) 0.595 109 (30.1) 1.000 695 (28.0)

Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test- Consumption score

Mean (± SD)

Median [IQR]

5.2 (± 2.3)

5 [4–7]

4 (± 2.4)

4 [2–6]

< 0.001

4.4 (± 2.6)

4 [2–6]

< 0.001

4.3(± 2.5)

4 [2–6]

Cannabis use b
Never 313 (55.7) 1218 (77.8) < 0.001 213 (58.5) 1.000 1744 (70.0)
Occasionally 159 (28.3) 263 (16.8) < 0.001 115 (31.6) 0.989 537 (21.5)
Regularly 90 (16.0) 85 (5.4) < 0.001 36 (9.9) 0.030 211 (8.5)
Poppers use b
Never 106 (18.9) 627 (40.0) < 0.001 39 (10.7) 0.003 772 (31.0)
Occasionally 271 (48.2) 586 (37.4) < 0.001 189 (51.9) 1.000 1046 (42.0)
Regularly 185 (32.9) 353 (22.5) < 0.001 136 (37.4) 1.000 674 (27.0)
Having a main partner 267 (47.5) 773 (49.4) 1.000 157 (43.0) 0.607 1197 (48.0)
Number of casual sex partners b
< 5 121 (21.6) 425 (27.2) 0.032 75 (20.7) 1.000 621 (25.0)
Between 5 and 8 122 (21.8) 328 (21.0) 1.000 56 (15.4) 0.061 506 (20.3)
Between 10 and 19 157 (28.0) 417 (26.6) 1.000 96 (26.4) 1.000 670 (26.9)
≥ 20 160 (28.6) 395 (25.2) 0.443 136 (37.5) 0.019 691 (27.8)
Systematically used condoms b 92 (16.4) 324 (20.8) 0.035 34 (9.3) 0.009 450 (18.1)
PrEP adherence
Optimal 137 (24.4) 372 (23.8) 1.000 138 (37.8) < 0.001 647 (26.0)
Sub-optimal 104 (18.5) 297 (19.0) 1.000 73 (20.0) 1.000 474 (19.0)
No PrEP use 321 (57.1) 897 (57.3) 1.000 154 (42.2) < 0.001 1372 (55.0)
Fisting or BDSM sexual practices c 29 (5.2) 78 (5.0) 1.000 121 (33.2) < 0.001 228 (9.1)
Status of current sex life
Not at all satisfied or not really satisfied 136 (24.2) 432 (27.6) 0.400 93 (25.5) 1.000 661 (26.5)
Quite satisfied 324 (57.7) 882 (56.4) 1.000 200 (54.9) 1.000 1406 (56.5)
Very satisfied 102 (18.1) 250 (16.0) 0.776 71 (19.5) 1.000 423 (17.0)
Having a risky sex life
Not at all or not really 203 (36.1) 703 (44.9) 0.001 100 (27.4) 0.021 1006 (40.4)
Yes, quite risky 262 (46.6) 647 (41.3) 0.099 164 (44.9) 1.000 1073 (43.0)
Yes, definitely risky 97 (17.3) 216 (13.8) 0.164 101 (27.7) 0.001 414 (16.6)

§Pairwise comparison with Bonferroni’s correction; a Baseline data; b Previous 3 months; c During the most recent sexual intercourse

* MSM who used drugs but did not engage in chemsex

** MSM who did not use drugs

*** MSM who engaged in chemsex