7 8Īs at end of 2017, 7982 Singapore residents had been notified to Singapore’s Ministry of Health (MOH) to be infected with HIV, of whom 6022 remain alive. 9 10 Sexual identity is an important factor that is associated with HIV testing among GBMSM, with those who identify as gay being more likely to had ever tested for HIV, relative to those who identify as bisexual or straight. Demographic factors such as increasing age and educational attainment are positively associated, 7 8 whereas the lack of HIV knowledge and low HIV risk perception are negatively associated with previous and recent HIV testing. 5 6įactors associated with HIV testing among GBMSM have been well established in the literature. 2–4 Early initiation of antiretroviral therapy following diagnosis has also been shown to reduce onward HIV transmission in virally suppressed individuals and leads to improved survival for individuals living with HIV. 1 Early detection of HIV acquisition among GBMSM is crucial in the global fight against HIV, as the knowledge of one’s own HIV status has been linked to the reduction of sexual risk behaviours. Gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men (GBMSM) are a key population that is disproportionately affected by HIV, with concentrated epidemics that continue to expand in communities of GBMSM across the world.
