Table 1.
Sociodemographic characteristics, sexual behaviours, STI history and prevalent STIs for pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) users in the l’Actuel PrEP Cohort (2013–2020)
| Reported chemsex | No chemsex reported | Total | ||||
| Total | 507 | 1579 | 2086 | |||
| Median follow-up time (months) | 6.5 | 5.8 | 5.9 | |||
| Total follow-up time (person-years) | 370 | 1107 | 1477 | |||
| Age (median, IQR) | 33 | (28–43) | 36 | (29–46) | 36 | (29–45) |
| Gender identity (n, %) | ||||||
| Cis men | 503 | 99.2% | 1576 | 99.8% | 2079 | 99.7% |
| Trans men | 1 | 0.2% | 2 | 0.1% | 3 | 0.1% |
| Trans women | 3 | 0.6% | 1 | 0.1% | 4 | 0.2% |
| Sexual orientation (n, %) | ||||||
| Homosexual | 483 | 95.3% | 1482 | 93.9% | 1965 | 94.2% |
| Bisexual | 21 | 4.1% | 92 | 5.8% | 113 | 5.4% |
| Heterosexual | 2 | 0.4% | 3 | 0.2% | 5 | 0.2% |
| Other | 0 | 0.0% | 1 | 0.1% | 1 | 0.1% |
| Missing | 1 | 0.2% | 1 | 0.1% | 2 | 0.1% |
| Education (n, %) | ||||||
| Primary | 5 | 1.0% | 9 | 0.6% | 14 | 0.7% |
| Secondary | 70 | 13.8% | 145 | 9.2% | 215 | 10.3% |
| CEGEP | 113 | 22.3% | 203 | 12.9% | 316 | 15.2% |
| University | 255 | 50.3% | 800 | 50.7% | 1055 | 50.6% |
| Missing | 64 | 12.6% | 422 | 26.7% | 486 | 23.3% |
| Annual income (n, %) | ||||||
| ≤$C10 000 | 30 | 5.9% | 89 | 5.6% | 119 | 5.7% |
| $C10 001–$$C20 000 | 47 | 9.3% | 115 | 7.3% | 162 | 7.8% |
| $C20 001–$C35 000 | 73 | 14.4% | 141 | 8.9% | 214 | 10.3% |
| $C35 001–$C55 000 | 120 | 23.7% | 298 | 18.9% | 418 | 20.0% |
| $C55 001–$C75 000 | 96 | 18.9% | 231 | 14.6% | 327 | 15.7% |
| ≥$C75 000 | 100 | 19.7% | 368 | 23.3% | 468 | 22.4% |
| Missing | 41 | 8.1% | 337 | 21.3% | 378 | 18.1% |
| Intravenous drug use in P12M (n, %) | ||||||
| Yes | 5 | 1.0% | 7 | 0.4% | 12 | 0.6% |
| Missing | 131 | 25.8% | 539 | 34.1% | 670 | 32.1% |
| Year of baseline consultation (n, %) | ||||||
| 2013 | 8 | 1.6% | 16 | 1.0% | 24 | 1.2% |
| 2014 | 29 | 5.7% | 49 | 3.1% | 78 | 3.7% |
| 2015 | 119 | 23.5% | 254 | 16.1% | 373 | 17.9% |
| 2016 | 146 | 28.8% | 332 | 21.0% | 478 | 22.9% |
| 2017 | 102 | 20.1% | 311 | 19.7% | 413 | 19.8% |
| 2018 | 69 | 13.6% | 307 | 19.4% | 376 | 18.0% |
| 2019 | 28 | 5.5% | 250 | 15.8% | 278 | 13.3% |
| 2020 | 6 | 1.2% | 60 | 3.8% | 66 | 3.2% |
| Number of regular partners in P12M | ||||||
| Median (IQR) | 2 | (1–3) | 2 | (1–3) | 2 | (1–3) |
| Missing (n, %) | 78 | 15.4% | 422 | 26.7% | 500 | 24.0% |
| Number of occasional partners in P12M | ||||||
| Median (IQR) | 15 | (6–30) | 10 | (5–20) | 10 | (5–20) |
| Missing (n, %) | 57 | 11.2% | 403 | 25.5% | 460 | 22.1% |
| Condom use in P12M (insertive anal sex) (n, %)* | ||||||
| 0%–25% | 90 | 21.0% | 162 | 13.8% | 252 | 15.7% |
| >25%–50% | 75 | 17.5% | 143 | 12.2% | 218 | 13.6% |
| >50%–75% | 47 | 11.0% | 80 | 6.8% | 127 | 7.9% |
| >75%–100% | 176 | 41.0% | 594 | 50.6% | 770 | 48.1% |
| Missing | 41 | 9.6% | 194 | 16.5% | 235 | 14.7% |
| Condom use in P12M (receptive anal sex) (n, %)* | ||||||
| 0%–25% | 64 | 15.3% | 97 | 9.1% | 161 | 10.8% |
| >25%–50% | 43 | 10.3% | 86 | 8.1% | 129 | 8.7% |
| >50%–75% | 37 | 8.8% | 55 | 5.2% | 92 | 6.2% |
| >75%–100% | 121 | 28.9% | 459 | 43.1% | 580 | 39.1% |
| Missing | 154 | 36.8% | 368 | 34.6% | 522 | 35.2% |
| Previous PEP use (n, %) | ||||||
| Yes | 193 | 38.1% | 497 | 31.5% | 690 | 33.1% |
| Missing | 26 | 5.1% | 285 | 18.% | 311 | 14.9% |
| Self-reported STI history, ever (n, %) | ||||||
| Gonorrhoea | 291 | 57.4% | 617 | 39.1% | 908 | 43.5% |
| Chlamydia | 249 | 49.1% | 486 | 30.8% | 735 | 35.2% |
| Syphilis | 117 | 23.1% | 240 | 15.2% | 357 | 17.1% |
| Hepatitis C virus | 6 | 1.2% | 10 | 0.6% | 16 | 0.8% |
| Missing | 17 | 3.4% | 170 | 10.8% | 187 | 9.0% |
| Prevalent STI diagnoses—NAAT (n, %) | ||||||
| Gonorrhoea | 78 | 15.4% | 140 | 8.8% | 218 | 10.4% |
| Chlamydia | 44 | 8.7% | 116 | 7.3% | 160 | 7.7% |
| Missing | 36 | 7.1% | 141 | 8.9% | 177 | 8.5% |
| Seroprevalence (n, %) | ||||||
| Hepatitis C virus | 2 | 0.4% | 2 | 0.1% | 4 | 0.2% |
| Missing | 73 | 14.4% | 310 | 19.7% | 383 | 18.4% |
Created by the authors.
CEGEP is Québec’s system of post-secondary education which offers pre-university and professional degrees.
*For condom use variables, the denominator was only clients who reported either insertive or receptive anal sex, hence the numbers here may not add up to the total in the first row.
CEGEP, Collège d'enseignement général et professionnel; NAAT, nucleic acid amplification test; PEP, post-exposure prophylaxis; P12M, past 12 months.