SYSTEMATIC REVIEW
Barriers and Facilitators to HIV/AIDS Testing among Latin Immigrant Men who have Sex with Men (MSM): A Systematic Review of the Literature
Aiala Xavier Felipe da Cruz1, Roberta Berté2, Aranucha de Brito Lima Oliveira2, Layze Braz de Oliveira3, João Cruz Neto4, Agostinho Antônio Cruz Araújo3, Anderson Reis de Sousa5, Isabel Amélia Costa Mendes3, Inês Fronteira6, Álvaro Francisco Lopes de Sousa7, *
Article Information
Identifiers and Pagination:
Year: 2023Volume: 17
E-location ID: e187461362307030
Publisher ID: e187461362307030
DOI: 10.2174/18746136-v17-230720-2023-12
Article History:
Received Date: 06/04/2023Revision Received Date: 09/06/2023
Acceptance Date: 14/06/2023
Electronic publication date: 07/08/2023
Collection year: 2023
open-access license: This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International Public License (CC-BY 4.0), a copy of which is available at: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/legalcode. This license permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
Abstract
Objective:
This study aims to identify barriers and facilitators of HIV/AIDS testing among Latin American immigrant men who have sex with men (MSM).
Methods:
A systematic literature review was conducted using the following databases: MEDLINE via the US National Library of Medicine's PubMed portal; Web of Science (WoS); Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL); Scopus; and Latin American and Caribbean Health Sciences Literature (LILACS).
Results:
Twelve studies were eligible. Overall, the studies indicated that Latin American immigrant MSM have low HIV testing rates. This low testing rate can be influenced by various factors, including knowledge and awareness about HIV; stigma, discrimination, and confidence in health services; barriers to accessing healthcare; type of partnerships and relationships; lack of knowledge about their rights; migration and documentation status; and personal, cultural, and religious beliefs
Conclusion:
Public health interventions aimed at increasing HIV testing among Latin immigrants should directly address the fundamental reasons for not getting tested. This approach is likely to be more successful by taking into account the specific needs and circumstances of Latin immigrant men who have sex with men.
