Reach of GetCheckedOnline among gay, bisexual, transgender and queer men and Two-Spirit people and correlates of use 5 years after program launch in British Columbia, Canada.
Andrés Montiel, Aidan Ablona, Ben Klassen, Kiffer Card, Nathan J Lachowsky, David J Brennan, Daniel Grace, Catherine Worthington, Mark Gilbert
Author Information
Andrés Montiel: BC Centre for Disease Control, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
Aidan Ablona: BC Centre for Disease Control, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
Ben Klassen: Community Based Research Centre, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
Kiffer Card: Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada.
Nathan J Lachowsky: School of Public Health and Social Policy, University of Victoria, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. ORCID
David J Brennan: Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. ORCID
Daniel Grace: Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Catherine Worthington: School of Public Health and Social Policy, University of Victoria, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada.
Mark Gilbert: BC Centre for Disease Control, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada mark.gilbert@bccdc.ca. ORCID
OBJECTIVES: Understanding who uses internet-based sexually transmitted and blood-borne infection (STBBI) services can inform programme implementation, particularly among those most impacted by STBBIs, including gender and sexual minority (GSM) men. GetCheckedOnline, an internet-based STBBI testing service in British Columbia, Canada, launched in 2014. Our objectives were to assess reach, identify factors associated with use of GetCheckedOnline 5 years into implementation and describe reasons for using and not using GetCheckedOnline among GSM men. METHODS: The Sex Now 2019 Survey was an online, cross-sectional survey of GSM men in Canada administered from November 2019 to February 2020. Participants were asked a subset of questions related to use of GetCheckedOnline. Multivariable binary logistic regression modelling was used to estimate associations between correlates and use of GetCheckedOnline. RESULTS: Of 431 British Columbia (BC) participants aware of GetCheckedOnline, 27.6% had tested using the service. Lower odds of having used GetCheckedOnline were found among participants with non-white race/ethnicity (adjusted OR (aOR)=0.41 (95% CI 0.21 to 0.74)) and those living with HIV (aOR=0.23 (95% CI 0.05 to 0.76)). Those who usually tested at a walk-in clinic, relative to a sexual health clinic, had greater odds of using GetCheckedOnline (aOR=3.91 (95% CI 1.36 to 11.61)). The most commonly reported reason for using and not using GetCheckedOnline was convenience (78%) and only accessing the website to see how the service worked (48%), respectively. CONCLUSION: Over a quarter of GSM men in BC aware of GetCheckedOnline had used it. Findings demonstrate the importance of social/structural factors related to use of GetCheckedOnline. Service promotion strategies could highlight its convenience and privacy benefits to enhance uptake.
