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- The Lisbon Cohort of men who have sex with menPublication . Meireles, Paula; Lucas, Raquel; Martins, Ana; Carvalho, Ana Cláudia; Fuertes, Ricardo; Brito, João; Campos, Maria José; Mendão, Luís; Barros, HenriquePurpose Newly diagnosed HIV infections among men who have sex with men (MSM) are rising in many European countries. Surveillance tools must be tailored to the current state of the epidemic, and include decentralised prospective monitoring of HIV incidence and behavioural changes in key populations. In this scenario, an open prospective cohort study was assembled—The Lisbon Cohort of MSM—aiming to dynamically monitor the frequency of disease and its predictors. Participants The Lisbon Cohort of MSM is an ongoing observational prospective study conducted at a community-based voluntary HIV counselling and testing centre in Lisbon, Portugal (CheckpointLX). Men testing negative for HIV, aged 18 or over and reporting having had sex with men are invited to follow-up visits every 6 months. At each evaluation, a face-to-face interview using a structured questionnaire is conducted, and HIV and syphilis rapid tests are performed by trained peer counsellors. From April 2011 to February 2014, 3106 MSM were eligible to the cohort of whom 923 (29.7%) did not participate. The remaining 2183 (70.3%) MSM were enrolled and 804 had at least one follow-up evaluation, for a total of 893 person-years of observation. Future plans The study findings will be disseminated in peer-reviewed journals and presented at national and international conferences. The follow-up of this cohort of HIV-negative MSM will be a valuable tool for monitoring HIV incidence in a setting where limited prospective information existed. Moreover, it will allow for a deeper analytical approach to the study of population time trends and individual changes in risk factors that currently shape the HIV epidemic among MSM.
- Incident risk factors as predictors of HIV seroconversion in the Lisbon cohort of men who have sex with men: first results, 2011–2014Publication . Meireles, P; Lucas, R; Carvalho, C; Fuertes, Ricardo; Brito, J; Campos, M J; Mendão, Luís; Barros, HHIV incidence in men who have sex with men (MSM) is increasing in western countries, including Portugal. We aimed to estimate HIV incidence and to assess how individual short-term changes in exposures over time predict seroconversion. We evaluated participants of an open cohort of HIV-negative MSM enrolled after testing at a community-based voluntary HIV counselling and testing centre in Lisbon. At each evaluation a structured questionnaire was completed and HIV status was ascertained using rapid followed by confirmatory testing. Between April 2011 and February 2014, 804 MSM were followed for a total of 893 person-years. Predictors of HIV seroconversion were identified using Poisson generalised linear regression. The overall seroincidence was 2.80/100 person-years (95% confidence interval: 1.89–4.14). Men who seroconverted had a higher mean number of tests per year. Seroconversions were significantly associated with partner disclosure of HIV status during follow-up, newly-adopted unprotected anal intercourse (UAI) with a steady partner and being newly-diagnosed with syphilis during follow-up. Likewise, sexual intercourse with HIV-positive men, having an HIV-positive steady partner at least once during follow-up and persistent UAI with occasional partners were predictors of seroconversion. High HIV incidence in this cohort is likely driven by short-term contextual and behavioural changes during follow-up.