{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,30]],"date-time":"2026-07-30T10:57:15Z","timestamp":1785409035968,"version":"3.56.0"},"reference-count":40,"publisher":"Public Library of Science (PLoS)","issue":"3","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,27]],"date-time":"2026-03-27T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1774569600000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"DOI":"10.13039\/100018336","name":"National Institute for Health Research Health Protection Research Unit","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["Blood Borne and Sexually Transmitted Infections"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["Blood Borne and Sexually Transmitted Infections"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/100018336","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]},{"DOI":"10.13039\/100018336","name":"National Institute for Health Research Health Protection Research Unit","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["Blood Borne and Sexually Transmitted Infections"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["Blood Borne and Sexually Transmitted Infections"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/100018336","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]},{"DOI":"10.13039\/100018336","name":"National Institute for Health Research Health Protection Research Unit","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["Blood Borne and Sexually Transmitted Infections"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["Blood Borne and Sexually Transmitted Infections"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/100018336","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]},{"DOI":"10.13039\/100018336","name":"National Institute for Health Research Health Protection Research Unit","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["Blood Borne and Sexually Transmitted Infections"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["Blood Borne and Sexually Transmitted Infections"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/100018336","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":["www.plosglobalpublichealth.org"],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["PLOS Glob Public Health"],"abstract":"<jats:p>In the UK, gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (GBMSM) at risk of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are recommended quarterly testing, but it is not known how many are following this recommendation. We described prevalence and correlates of frequent STI testing amongst GBMSM. We analysed data from the community-based Reducing Inequalities in Sexual Health (RiiSH) online survey of GBMSM, with recruitment in November-December 2024 via social media and dating apps. Participants were UK residents aged \u226516 years reporting sex with a man in the previous year. We described frequency of STI testing amongst individuals recommended quarterly testing, using proxies for national guidelines for quarterly testing eligibility (over the past three months: new male sexual partner, condomless anal sex,\u2009\u2265\u200910 male partners, or chemsex). We explored factors associated with frequent testing (\u22654 tests\/past year) using univariate and multivariable logistic regression, adjusting for country of birth and residence, ethnicity, employment, and education. Among 2758 participants (median age 45 years, 88% white), we estimated 2366 (86%) would be recommended quarterly STI testing. Among 2342 with testing information, 562 individuals (24%) met or exceeded this recommendation (\u22654 tests), 1107 (47%) had 1\u20133 tests, and 673 (29%) none. Factors associated with frequent testing were: reporting using HIV-PrEP in the past year (adjusted odds ratio 7.66 (95% confidence intervals 5.77-10.30)), STI diagnosis in the past three months (1.96 (1.45-2.64)), and younger age (1.50 (1.04-2.16), 16\u201329 years vs\u2009\u2265\u200945 years). Straight\/bisexual orientation was associated with less frequent testing than gay\/homosexual (0.71 (0.52-0.96)). Overall, data from a large UK community survey suggest only 1 in 4 GBMSM who are recommended quarterly STI testing meet this recommendation, and testing levels vary by HIV-PrEP use, STI history, age, and sexual orientation. These findings provide baseline data for consideration in any updates to STI testing guidelines.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pgph.0005351","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,27]],"date-time":"2026-03-27T17:49:15Z","timestamp":1774633755000},"page":"e0005351","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1371\/journal.pgph.corrections_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":1,"title":["Characteristics associated with frequent sexually transmitted infection (STI) testing in a community-based sample of gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (GBMSM), United Kingdom, 2024"],"prefix":"10.1371","volume":"6","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-1736-7661","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Lucy","family":"Findlater","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"George","family":"Baldry","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Ana K.","family":"Harb","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Dolores","family":"Mullen","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0001-1508-1697","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Dawn","family":"Phillips","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-4612-7408","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Erna","family":"Buitendam","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Catherine M.","family":"Lowndes","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"David","family":"Reid","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Catherine H.","family":"Mercer","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"John","family":"Saunders","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Dana","family":"Ogaz","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Hamish","family":"Mohammed","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"340","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,27]]},"reference":[{"issue":"8","key":"pgph.0005351.ref001","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"553","DOI":"10.1136\/sextrans-2017-053273","article-title":"100 years of STIs in the UK: a review of national surveillance data","volume":"94","author":"H Mohammed","year":"2018","journal-title":"Sex Transm Infect"},{"key":"pgph.0005351.ref002","author":"UK Health Security Agency","year":"2024","journal-title":"Spotlight on sexually transmitted infections in London: 2022 data"},{"issue":"1","key":"pgph.0005351.ref003","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"7","DOI":"10.1038\/s41585-021-00527-4","article-title":"HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis and sexually transmitted infections: intersection and opportunity","volume":"19","author":"J Stewart","year":"2022","journal-title":"Nat Rev Urol"},{"issue":"5","key":"pgph.0005351.ref004","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1043","DOI":"10.1111\/jdv.17139","article-title":"2021 European guideline on HIV testing in genito-urinary medicine settings","volume":"35","author":"D G\u00f6kengin","year":"2021","journal-title":"J Eur Acad Dermatol Venereol"},{"key":"pgph.0005351.ref005","author":"Australasian Society for HIV VH, and Sexual Health Medicine (ASHM)","year":"2024"},{"key":"pgph.0005351.ref006","author":"Public Health Agency of Canada","year":"2025","journal-title":"Canadian Guidelines on Sexually Transmitted Infections"},{"key":"pgph.0005351.ref007","author":"British Association of Sexual Health and HIV","year":"2023","journal-title":"BASHH Summary Guidance on Testing for Sexually Transmitted Infections, 2023"},{"key":"pgph.0005351.ref008","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"956462417746897","DOI":"10.1177\/0956462417746897","article-title":"2016 United Kingdom national guideline on the sexual health care of men who have sex with men","author":"D Clutterbuck","year":"2018","journal-title":"Int J STD AIDS"},{"key":"pgph.0005351.ref009","unstructured":"British HIV Association. 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