Table 2.
Functional Knowledge of HIV Prevention Strategies Among 800 Gay, Bisexual, and Other Men Who Have Sex With Men, United States, August–September 2015.
| Questions assessing functional knowledge of HIV prevention strategies (correct answer) | Validity of selected response |
Had CAS with ≥2 men in the past 3 months (N = 116) |
Tested for HIV in the past year (N = 403) |
|---|---|---|---|
| n (%) | n (%)a | n (%)b | |
| 1. By approximately what percentage can the consistent use of male latex condoms reduce the risk of acquiring or transmitting HIV? (80%) | |||
| Correct | 493 (61.6) | 66 (13.4) | 243 (49.3) |
| Incorrect | 307 (38.4) | 50 (16.3) | 160 (52.1) |
| 2. True or false: Male latex condoms can be safely used beyond their expiration date, or more than 5 years after their manufacturing date. (False) | |||
| Correct | 747 (93.4) | 107 (14.3) | 381 (51.0) |
| Incorrect | 53 (6.6) | 9 (17.0) | 22 (41.5) |
| 3. What is true about natural membrane condoms, frequently called “natural skin” or “lambskin” condoms? (Permeable to HIV and not recommended for HIV prevention) | |||
| Correct | 533 (66.6) | 77 (14.5) | 261 (49.0) |
| Incorrect | 267 (33.4) | 39 (14.6) | 142 (53.2) |
| 4. By approximately what percentage has male circumcision been found to reduce the risk of acquiring HIV among predominantly heterosexual men in sub-Saharan Africa? (50%–60%) | |||
| Correct | 213 (26.6) | 37 (17.4) | 98 (46.0) |
| Incorrect | 587 (73.4) | 79 (13.5) | 305 (52.0) |
| 5. With what has serosorting, or tailoring behavior such as condom use or sexual positioning on the basis of each other’s HIV status, been associated? (Increased risk of sexually transmitted infections, e.g., chlamydia, gonorrhea) | |||
| Correct | 137 (17.1) | 20 (14.6) | 73 (53.3) |
| Incorrect | 663 (82.9) | 96 (14.5) | 330 (49.8) |
| 6. How does being infected with other sexually transmitted infections, for example, chlamydia, gonorrhea, affect one’s risk of acquiring HIV? (Increases risk) | |||
| Correct | 575 (71.9) | 87 (15.1) | 288 (50.1) |
| Incorrect | 225 (28.1) | 29 (12.9) | 115 (51.1) |
| 7. Post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) refers to the use of antiretroviral medications for 28 days after a single high-risk HIV exposure event to prevent the virus from establishing infection among HIV-negative individuals. Within what timeframe does PEP have to be started in order to be effective? (3 days) | |||
| Correct | 327 (40.9) | 59 (18.0) | 163 (49.9) |
| Incorrect | 473 (59.1) | 57 (12.1) | 240 (50.7) |
| 8. Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) refers to the daily use of antiretroviral medications by HIV-negative individuals to prevent HIV from establishing infection once inside the body. By what percentage has PrEP been shown to reduce the risk of acquiring HIV among those who consistently took the drug as prescribed? (92%) | |||
| Correct | 319 (39.9) | 80 (25.1) | 190 (59.6) |
| Incorrect | 481 (60.1) | 36 (7.5) | 213 (44.3) |
| 9. How does the inconsistent use of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) influence its effectiveness? (Decreases effectiveness) | |||
| Correct | 677 (84.6) | 101 (14.9) | 348 (51.4) |
| Incorrect | 123 (15.4) | 15 (12.2) | 55 (44.7) |
| 10. What is the recommendation about using pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) along with condoms? (People using PrEP are recommended to continue using condoms) | |||
| Correct | 732 (91.5) | 112 (15.3) | 374 (51.1) |
| Incorrect | 68 (8.5) | 4 (5.9) | 29 (42.7) |
| 11. What is true about using pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and the risk of acquiring other sexually transmitted infections, for example, chlamydia, gonorrhea? (Using PrEP does not help prevent other sexually transmitted infections) | |||
| Correct | 659 (82.4) | 100 (15.2) | 345 (52.4) |
| Incorrect | 141 (17.6) | 16 (11.4) | 58 (41.1) |
| 12. By approximately what percentage can people living with HIV who adhere to antiretroviral medications to the point of being virally suppressed reduce the risk of sexual transmission? (96%) | |||
| Correct | 217 (27.1) | 53 (24.4) | 123 (56.7) |
| Incorrect | 583 (72.9) | 63 (10.8) | 280 (48.0) |
Note. aPercentages indicate the proportion who had CAS with ≥2 men in the past 3 months within each stratum of response validity. bPercentages indicate the proportion who tested for HIV in the past year within each stratum of response validity. CAS = condomless anal sex.