Barriers and Motives for Complying With “Sexual Distancing” Among Men Who Have Sex With Men During the First COVID-19 Pandemic Lockdown in Amsterdam: A Qualitative Study

Vries, Dominique C de; Zimmermann, Hanne M L; Drückler, Susanne; Davidovich, Udi; Hoornenborg, Elske; Vries, Henry J. C. de

doi:10.1097/olq.0000000000001636

Cited by 3 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 18 publications

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“…These findings underscore the importance of focusing campaigns not only on social distancing, but also explicitly on sexual distancing, for a more effective prevention of disease transmission. This is supported by our previous qualitative study where we found that some participants were not aware that sexual distancing is part of social distancing 3 . We also found that the number of participants that were solely socially or sexually compliant was relatively stable throughout the four periods.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 86%

“…Data were collected between 25 November 2021 and 3 March 2022. The questionnaire was developed using the findings from our previous qualitative study on sexual distancing3; items were translated into quantifiable items on a 5-point Likert scales. The questionnaire was available in Dutch and English and piloted by three people who were unrelated to the Center for Sexual Health in Amsterdam and the current study.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In a previous qualitative study we elucidated motives and barriers for both social and sexual distancing among men who have sex with men (MSM) 3. We concluded that governmental information on distancing measures should be more explicit, accessible, understandable, inclusive and related to key populations (e.g., singles, MSM) to be more effective.…”

mentioning

confidence: 96%

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Sexual Distancing During 5 Periods Around and During the COVID-19 Pandemic, Amsterdam, the Netherlands

de Vries,

Jongen,

Zimmermann

et al. 2023

Sexual Trans Dis

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Background Social- and sexual distancing (i.e., abstaining from sex with persons outside one’s household) was important in the control of the COVID-19 pandemic. Compliance to distancing measures can change over time. We assessed changes in compliance to the sexual distancing measures during five periods of the COVID-19 pandemic in the Netherlands. Methods Between November 2021 and March 2022, we used a structured questionnaire containing questions about sexual behavior and factors that could have influenced compliance with sexual distancing. Variables related to sexual behavior were measured for five time periods, before and during the pandemic, delineated by imposement and relaxation of lockdown measures. Results 870 participants (predominantly MSM) completed the questionnaire. We found that compliance to the sexual distancing measures decreased over time. The number of casual partners was highest after the lockdown measures were relaxed for the second time (April 2021 – March 2022), and even higher than before the first lockdown. Factors positively associated with sexual distancing compliance were: having confidence in the information provided by the government and experiencing less or similar need for physical contact compared to before the pandemic. Previously having had COVID-19, perceiving the lockdown measures as overstated, having sex with casual partners and similar drug use during the pandemic as before lowered compliance over time. Conclusions Our findings suggest that sexual distancing measures are difficult to maintain for a long period of time. Other measures, such as confinement to a small network of known partners, might be more effective for longer pandemics in minimizing the spread of infectious diseases.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 86%

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Sexual Distancing During 5 Periods Around and During the COVID-19 Pandemic, Amsterdam, the Netherlands

de Vries,

Jongen,

Zimmermann

et al. 2023

Sexual Trans Dis

Self Cite

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“…The perceived risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection and public health measures were found to be associated with a change in sexual behaviour [10,11]. A recent study from Bilsen et al [9] found that distancing measures during lockdown led to a temporary decrease in casual sex partners and a relatively low STI positivity rate among clients of the CSH in Amsterdam [9].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The perceived risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection and public health measures were found to be associated with a change in sexual behaviour [10, 11]. A recent study from Bilsen et al .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Increased clonality among Neisseria gonorrhoeae isolates during the COVID-19 pandemic in Amsterdam, the Netherlands

et al. 2023

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Distancing measures during the COVID-19 lockdown led to a temporary decrease of casual sex partners among clients of the Centre for Sexual Health (CSH) in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. We investigated the effect of this change on the genotypic and phenotypic distribution of Neisseria gonorrhoeae (Ng) isolates from CSH patients. From each Ng-positive patient we sequenced one isolate, resulting in 322 isolates which constituted two groups: 181 isolates cultured from 15 January to 29 February 2020 (before the first lockdown) and 141 cultured from 15 May to 30 June 2020 (during the first lockdown). Patient characteristics showed significantly more symptomatic patients and significantly fewer reported sex partners during the lockdown. Phenotypic data showed an increase in low-level azithromycin resistance and ceftriaxone susceptibility during the lockdown, and this remained after the study period. The diversity in sequence types (STs) decreased slightly during the lockdown. A shift occurred from ST 8156 being predominant before lockdown to ST 9362 during lockdown and a remarkably low median SNP distance of 17 SNPs was found between ST 9362 isolates obtained during lockdown. These findings reflect restricted travel and the change in sexual behaviour of CSH clients during the lockdown, with a potentially increased local transmission of the ST 9362 strain during this period, which led to genotypic and phenotypic changes in the Ng population. This shows that public health measures have far-reaching consequences and should be considered in the surveillance of other infectious diseases.

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Sexual Networking and HIV/STI Prevention Among Men who have Sex with Men and Identify as Persons of Color in the Era of COVID-19 in Boston, MA: Qualitative Findings from the National HIV Behavioral Surveillance Project

O’Cleirigh,

Foley,

Stanton

et al. 2024

AIDS Behav

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Barriers and Motives for Complying With “Sexual Distancing” Among Men Who Have Sex With Men During the First COVID-19 Pandemic Lockdown in Amsterdam: A Qualitative Study

Abstract: A qualitative study in a sexual health setting found that sexual distancing information to prevent severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 transmission needs to be provided in a more explicit, accessible, understandable, and inclusive manner.

Cited by 3 publications

References 18 publications

Sexual Distancing During 5 Periods Around and During the COVID-19 Pandemic, Amsterdam, the Netherlands

Sexual Distancing During 5 Periods Around and During the COVID-19 Pandemic, Amsterdam, the Netherlands

Increased clonality among Neisseria gonorrhoeae isolates during the COVID-19 pandemic in Amsterdam, the Netherlands

Sexual Networking and HIV/STI Prevention Among Men who have Sex with Men and Identify as Persons of Color in the Era of COVID-19 in Boston, MA: Qualitative Findings from the National HIV Behavioral Surveillance Project

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