Contrasting the Perceived Severity of COVID-19 and HIV Infection in an Online Survey of Gay, Bisexual, and Other Men Who Have Sex With Men During the U.S. COVID-19 Epidemic
While there is evidence of variations in the risk perceptions of COVID-19 and that they are linked to both engagement in health-protective behaviors and poor mental health outcomes, there has been a lack of attention to how individuals perceive the risk of COVID-19 relative to other infectious disea...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
SAGE Publishing
2020-09-01
|
| Series: | American Journal of Men's Health |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1177/1557988320957545 |
| _version_ | 1818456567421337600 |
|---|---|
| author | Rob Stephenson Tanaka M. D. Chavanduka Matthew T. Rosso Stephen P. Sullivan Renée A. Pitter Alexis S. Hunter Erin Rogers |
| author_facet | Rob Stephenson Tanaka M. D. Chavanduka Matthew T. Rosso Stephen P. Sullivan Renée A. Pitter Alexis S. Hunter Erin Rogers |
| author_sort | Rob Stephenson |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | While there is evidence of variations in the risk perceptions of COVID-19 and that they are linked to both engagement in health-protective behaviors and poor mental health outcomes, there has been a lack of attention to how individuals perceive the risk of COVID-19 relative to other infectious diseases. This paper examines the relative perceptions of the severity of COVID-19 and HIV among a sample of U.S. gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (GBMSMs). The “Love and Sex in the Time of COVID-19” survey was conducted online from April 2020 to May 2020. GBMSMs were recruited through paid banner advertisements featured on social networking platforms, resulting in a sample size of 696. The analysis considers differences in responses to two scales: the Perceived Severity of HIV Infection and the Perceived Severity of COVID-19 Infection. Participants perceived greater seriousness for HIV infection (mean 46.67, range 17–65) than for COVID-19 infection (mean 38.81, range 13–62). Some items reflecting more proximal impacts of infection (anxiety, loss of sleep, and impact on employment) were similar for HIV and COVID-19. Those aged over 25 and those who perceived higher prevalence of COVID-19 in the United States or their state were more likely to report COVID-19 as more severe than HIV. There is a need to develop nuanced public health messages for GBMSMs that convey the ongoing simultaneous health threats of both HIV and COVID-19. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-14T22:28:43Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-ed43df3df02f4d9f8f0982213769bce9 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1557-9891 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-14T22:28:43Z |
| publishDate | 2020-09-01 |
| publisher | SAGE Publishing |
| record_format | Article |
| series | American Journal of Men's Health |
| spelling | doaj.art-ed43df3df02f4d9f8f0982213769bce92022-12-21T22:45:18ZengSAGE PublishingAmerican Journal of Men's Health1557-98912020-09-011410.1177/1557988320957545Contrasting the Perceived Severity of COVID-19 and HIV Infection in an Online Survey of Gay, Bisexual, and Other Men Who Have Sex With Men During the U.S. COVID-19 EpidemicRob Stephenson0Tanaka M. D. Chavanduka1Matthew T. Rosso2Stephen P. Sullivan3Renée A. Pitter4Alexis S. Hunter5Erin Rogers6Center for Sexuality and Health Disparities, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USACenter for Sexuality and Health Disparities, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USACenter for Sexuality and Health Disparities, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USACenter for Sexuality and Health Disparities, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USACenter for Sexuality and Health Disparities, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USACenter for Sexuality and Health Disparities, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USACenter for Sexuality and Health Disparities, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USAWhile there is evidence of variations in the risk perceptions of COVID-19 and that they are linked to both engagement in health-protective behaviors and poor mental health outcomes, there has been a lack of attention to how individuals perceive the risk of COVID-19 relative to other infectious diseases. This paper examines the relative perceptions of the severity of COVID-19 and HIV among a sample of U.S. gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (GBMSMs). The “Love and Sex in the Time of COVID-19” survey was conducted online from April 2020 to May 2020. GBMSMs were recruited through paid banner advertisements featured on social networking platforms, resulting in a sample size of 696. The analysis considers differences in responses to two scales: the Perceived Severity of HIV Infection and the Perceived Severity of COVID-19 Infection. Participants perceived greater seriousness for HIV infection (mean 46.67, range 17–65) than for COVID-19 infection (mean 38.81, range 13–62). Some items reflecting more proximal impacts of infection (anxiety, loss of sleep, and impact on employment) were similar for HIV and COVID-19. Those aged over 25 and those who perceived higher prevalence of COVID-19 in the United States or their state were more likely to report COVID-19 as more severe than HIV. There is a need to develop nuanced public health messages for GBMSMs that convey the ongoing simultaneous health threats of both HIV and COVID-19.https://doi.org/10.1177/1557988320957545 |
| spellingShingle | Rob Stephenson Tanaka M. D. Chavanduka Matthew T. Rosso Stephen P. Sullivan Renée A. Pitter Alexis S. Hunter Erin Rogers Contrasting the Perceived Severity of COVID-19 and HIV Infection in an Online Survey of Gay, Bisexual, and Other Men Who Have Sex With Men During the U.S. COVID-19 Epidemic American Journal of Men's Health |
| title | Contrasting the Perceived Severity of COVID-19 and HIV Infection in an Online Survey of Gay, Bisexual, and Other Men Who Have Sex With Men During the U.S. COVID-19 Epidemic |
| title_full | Contrasting the Perceived Severity of COVID-19 and HIV Infection in an Online Survey of Gay, Bisexual, and Other Men Who Have Sex With Men During the U.S. COVID-19 Epidemic |
| title_fullStr | Contrasting the Perceived Severity of COVID-19 and HIV Infection in an Online Survey of Gay, Bisexual, and Other Men Who Have Sex With Men During the U.S. COVID-19 Epidemic |
| title_full_unstemmed | Contrasting the Perceived Severity of COVID-19 and HIV Infection in an Online Survey of Gay, Bisexual, and Other Men Who Have Sex With Men During the U.S. COVID-19 Epidemic |
| title_short | Contrasting the Perceived Severity of COVID-19 and HIV Infection in an Online Survey of Gay, Bisexual, and Other Men Who Have Sex With Men During the U.S. COVID-19 Epidemic |
| title_sort | contrasting the perceived severity of covid 19 and hiv infection in an online survey of gay bisexual and other men who have sex with men during the u s covid 19 epidemic |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1177/1557988320957545 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT robstephenson contrastingtheperceivedseverityofcovid19andhivinfectioninanonlinesurveyofgaybisexualandothermenwhohavesexwithmenduringtheuscovid19epidemic AT tanakamdchavanduka contrastingtheperceivedseverityofcovid19andhivinfectioninanonlinesurveyofgaybisexualandothermenwhohavesexwithmenduringtheuscovid19epidemic AT matthewtrosso contrastingtheperceivedseverityofcovid19andhivinfectioninanonlinesurveyofgaybisexualandothermenwhohavesexwithmenduringtheuscovid19epidemic AT stephenpsullivan contrastingtheperceivedseverityofcovid19andhivinfectioninanonlinesurveyofgaybisexualandothermenwhohavesexwithmenduringtheuscovid19epidemic AT reneeapitter contrastingtheperceivedseverityofcovid19andhivinfectioninanonlinesurveyofgaybisexualandothermenwhohavesexwithmenduringtheuscovid19epidemic AT alexisshunter contrastingtheperceivedseverityofcovid19andhivinfectioninanonlinesurveyofgaybisexualandothermenwhohavesexwithmenduringtheuscovid19epidemic AT erinrogers contrastingtheperceivedseverityofcovid19andhivinfectioninanonlinesurveyofgaybisexualandothermenwhohavesexwithmenduringtheuscovid19epidemic |