CASUAL SEX AMONG MSM DURING THE PERIOD OF SHELTERING IN PLACE TO PREVENT THE SPREAD OF COVID-19: RESULTS OF NATIONAL ONLINE SURVEYS IN BRAZIL AND PORTUGAL

  1. Alvaro Francisco Lopes de Sousa
  2. Layze Braz de Oliveira
  3. Artur Acelino Francisco Luz Nunes Queiroz
  4. Hérica Emilia Felix de Carvalho
  5. Guilherme Schneider
  6. Emerson Lucas Silva Camargo
  7. Telma Evangelista de Araujo
  8. Sandra Brignol
  9. Isabel Amélia Costa Mendes
  10. Willi McFarland
  11. Inês Fronteira
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Abstract

Background

We investigated the extent to which Brazilian and Portuguese MSM had casual sexual relations outside their homes during the period of sheltering in place for the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods

An online survey was implemented in Brazil and Portugal in April, during the period of social isolation for COVID-19, with a sample of 2,361 MSMs. Recruitment was done through meeting apps and Facebook.

Results

Most of the sample (53.0%; considering 53.1% in Portugal and 53% in Brazil) had casual sex partners during sheltering. Factors that increased the odds of engaging in casual sex in Brazil were having group sex (aOR 2.1, 95%CI 1.3-3.4), living in a urban area (aOR 1.6, 95%CI 1.1-2.2), feeling that sheltering had high impact on daily life (aOR 3.0, 95%CI 1.1-8.3), having casual instead of steady partners (aOR 2.5, 95%CI 1.8-3.5), and not decreasing the number of partners (aOR 6.5, 95%CI 4.2-10.0). In Portugal, the odds of engaging in casual sex increased with using Facebook to find partners (aOR 4.6, 95%CI 3.0-7.2), not decreasing the number of partners (aOR 3.8, 95%CI 2.9-5.9), usually finding partners in physical venues (pre-COVID-19) (aOR 5.4, 95%CI 3.2-8.9), feeling that the isolation had high impact on daily life (aOR 3.0, 95%CI 1.3-6.7), and HIV-positive serostatus (aOR 11.7, 95%CI 4.7-29.2). Taking PrEP/Truvada to prevent COVID-19 was reported by 12.7% of MSM.

Conclusions

The pandemic has not stopped most of our MSM sample from finding sexual partners, with high risk sexual behaviors continuing. Public health messages for the prevention of COVID-19 need to be crafted to explicitly address sexual behavior to reduce contamination in the current moment.

Short Summary

The pandemic of COVID-19 did not cause changes in the sexual behavior of MSM; they continued to engage in casual sex, using drugs, having multiple partners and adopting ineffective protective measures for COVID-19.

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