{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,20]],"date-time":"2026-06-20T05:18:54Z","timestamp":1781932734199,"version":"3.54.5"},"reference-count":37,"publisher":"CSIRO Publishing","issue":"6","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,8,18]],"date-time":"2025-08-18T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1755475200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":2110,"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1071\/journalslicense"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":[],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2019,11,26]]},"abstract":"<jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Background<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Amidst an increase in STI rates among men who have sex with men (MSM) and transgender women (TGW), there is little research on STI knowledge, risk perception and concern about infection in these populations. Methods: This mixed-methods study explored these constructs among 60 racially and ethnically diverse MSM and TGW who regularly engage in condomless anal intercourse with multiple partners. Results: Participants had a mean age of 40.63 years. Most (95%) identified as a man and as gay or homosexual (73%); 55% were college graduates. Almost half the respondents reported a prior STI. Participants correctly answered a mean of 55.36% and 76.90% STI and HIV knowledge items respectively. STI knowledge was positively correlated with education and prior HIV tests, and was higher among those with a prior STI. During in-depth interviews, some participants expressed concerns about limited knowledge of STIs and syphilis. Half reported low concern about syphilis infection, due to prior treatment that was perceived as relatively simple, lack of STI infection in the past, erroneous information about transmission routes or simply not thinking about it. Conclusions: Among this high-risk sample who perceived themselves to be at low risk of infection, knowledge was primarily gained through being diagnosed and treated for an STI rather than from acquiring knowledge to prevent STI infection. Participants expressed interest in increasing their STI knowledge and recognised the importance of regular STI testing. Dissemination of targeted information about STI prevention, routinising of STI testing and STI self-testing might contribute to decreasing STI infection rates among this population.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1071\/sh18238","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2019,11,8]],"date-time":"2019-11-08T00:13:36Z","timestamp":1573172016000},"page":"580-586","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":26,"title":["Low sexually transmissible infection knowledge, risk perception and concern about infection among men who have sex with men and transgender women at high risk of infection"],"prefix":"10.1071","volume":"16","author":[{"given":"Iv\u00e1n C.","family":"Bal\u00e1n","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"AHIV Center for Clinical and Behavioral Studies at New York State Psychiatric Institute and Columbia University, 1051 Riverside Drive, Unit 15, New York, NY 10032, USA."},{"name":"BCorresponding author. Email: Ivan.Balan@nyspi.columbia.edu"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Javier","family":"Lopez-Rios","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"AHIV Center for Clinical and Behavioral Studies at New York State Psychiatric Institute and Columbia University, 1051 Riverside Drive, Unit 15, New York, NY 10032, USA."}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Curtis","family":"Dolezal","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"AHIV Center for Clinical and Behavioral Studies at New York State Psychiatric Institute and Columbia University, 1051 Riverside Drive, Unit 15, New York, NY 10032, USA."}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Christine Tagliaferri","family":"Rael","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"AHIV Center for Clinical and Behavioral Studies at New York State Psychiatric Institute and Columbia University, 1051 Riverside Drive, Unit 15, New York, NY 10032, USA."}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Cody","family":"Lentz","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"AHIV Center for Clinical and Behavioral Studies at New York State Psychiatric Institute and Columbia University, 1051 Riverside Drive, Unit 15, New York, NY 10032, USA."}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"67","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2019,11,8]]},"reference":[{"key":"2025102615522407000_R1"},{"key":"2025102615522407000_R2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"476","DOI":"10.1007\/s10461-007-9267-y","article-title":"Prevalence and risk factors associated with HIV infection among men having sex with men in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.","volume":"12","author":"Nguyen","year":"2008","journal-title":"AIDS Behav"},{"key":"2025102615522407000_R3","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1305","DOI":"10.1007\/s10461-012-0404-x","article-title":"HIV knowledge and beliefs among men who have sex with men (MSM) in Buenos Aires, Argentina.","volume":"17","author":"Pando","year":"2013","journal-title":"AIDS Behav"},{"key":"2025102615522407000_R4","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0032915","article-title":"HIV knowledge and associated factors among internet-using men who have sex with men (MSM) in South Africa and the United States.","volume":"7","author":"Wagenaar","year":"2012","journal-title":"PLoS One"},{"key":"2025102615522407000_R5","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"80","DOI":"10.1097\/00126334-200301010-00012","article-title":"HIV knowledge and risk factors among men who have sex with men in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.","volume":"32","author":"Colby","year":"2003","journal-title":"J Acquir Immune Defic Syndr"},{"key":"2025102615522407000_R6","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"S143","DOI":"10.1097\/QAI.0b013e3181baf111","article-title":"Estimating levels of HIV testing, HIV prevention coverage, HIV knowledge, and condom use among men who have sex with men (MSM) in low-income and middle-income countries.","volume":"52","author":"Adam","year":"2009","journal-title":"J Acquir Immune Defic Syndr"},{"key":"2025102615522407000_R7","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"S74","DOI":"10.1097\/QAI.0b013e3181c7dd16","article-title":"HIV\/STD prevalence among MSM in Chengdu, China and associated risk factors for HIV infection.","volume":"53","author":"Feng","year":"2010","journal-title":"J Acquir Immune Defic Syndr"},{"key":"2025102615522407000_R8","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"748","DOI":"10.1177\/1403494810382471","article-title":"Associations of high-risk behaviour and HIV status with HIV knowledge among persons in Tallinn, Estonia.","volume":"38","author":"Parker","year":"2010","journal-title":"Scand J Public Health"},{"key":"2025102615522407000_R9","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"156","DOI":"10.1016\/j.phrp.2012.07.001","article-title":"Knowledge, attitudes, and sexual behaviors in HIV\/AIDS and predictors affecting condom use among men who have sex with men in South Korea.","volume":"3","author":"Sohn","year":"2012","journal-title":"Osong Public Health Res Perspect"},{"key":"2025102615522407000_R10","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"858","DOI":"10.1007\/s10461-011-0119-4","article-title":"Social network and other correlates of HIV testing: findings from male sex workers and other MSM in Shanghai, China.","volume":"16","author":"Huang","year":"2012","journal-title":"AIDS Behav"},{"key":"2025102615522407000_R11","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"18","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1440-1584.1998.tb00276.x","article-title":"Rural youth: HIV\/STD knowledge levels and sources of information.","volume":"6","author":"Hillier","year":"1998","journal-title":"Aust J Rural Health"},{"key":"2025102615522407000_R12","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"831","DOI":"10.1097\/OLQ.0b013e3182663f27","article-title":"Trends in sexual behavior, testing, and knowledge in young people; 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