Publications by authors named "Kohta Iwahashi"
Article Synopsis
- Men who have sex with men (MSM) report worse health than the general population in Japan and globally.
- Research shows that social capital—resources from social networks—can influence health outcomes for MSM, but there is a lack of studies exploring how this works.
- An online survey of 1,564 MSM in Japan found that poor health was linked to older age, lower education, job instability, and was improved by having strong social connections; targeted interventions for less affluent or older MSM could help reduce health disparities.
Article Synopsis
- In Japan, there’s a rising number of new HIV cases among men who have sex with men (MSM), highlighting the need for more widespread testing in this group.
- Research from the UK on Digital Vending Machines (DVM) that offer HIV test kits for MSM shows they could effectively promote and increase testing uptake.
- A study with 54 participants in workshops and an additional 224 responding to surveys found that 73% of MSM who had never been tested were willing to use DVMs, though concerns about privacy and follow-up care need to be addressed.
Article Synopsis
- This study explored factors influencing lifetime and recent HIV testing among men who have sex with men (MSM) in Japan through an anonymous online survey conducted in 2015, with 776 participants.
- Findings indicated that older age, a history of syphilis, and discussions about HIV were linked to higher rates of lifetime testing, while recent testing was more common among those discussing HIV with friends and recognizing community-based organization (CBO) materials.
- The results suggest that enhancing the distribution of HIV-related information by CBOs could effectively encourage regular testing and ongoing engagement with HIV-related issues among MSM in Japan.
Background: Men who have sex with men (MSM) are at high risk of HIV infection. However, there are only few data on HIV prevalence in MSM in Japan. The objective of this study was to explore the HIV prevalence in MSM at Shinjuku 2-chome, a well known gay quarter in Tokyo.
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