UNI project – Increasing Involvement of MSM in the Continuum of Care in Kazakhstan (2016 – 2021)

Funding: National Institute of Drug Abuse (NIDA)

Grant amount: 3’431’964 USD

The project goal: The study aimed to test the efficacy of a social network-based HIV intervention designed to increase the number of MSM who use drugs in Kazakhstan and engage them in the continuum of care.

Project Description: The study involved a phased clinical trial in Almaty, Shymkent and Astana involving MSM who use drugs. As part of the intervention, MSM served as experts and used social networking processes to increase their engagement in the HIV treatment continuum. The study included 629 people, of whom 254 reported having had an HIV test in the past 6 months.

The project results: The results of this clinical trial confirm that the PRIDE in HIV Care program is an effective behavioral intervention that can increase HIV testing rates among MSM in Kazakhstan, as well as encourage behavior change among people who have never received direct intervention.

Publications:

  • Earlier Sexual Debut and Anti-Gay Victimization Among Men Who Have Sex With Men (MSM) in Kazakhstan (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37272025/);
  • Compounding vulnerabilities: victimization and discrimination is associated with COVID-19 disruptions to HIV-related care among gay, bisexual, and other men and transgender and nonbinary people who have sex with men in Kazakhstan (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36628449/);
  • HIV Stigma, Homophobia, Sexual and Gender Minority Community Connectedness and HIV Testing Among Gay, Bisexual, and Other Men and Transgender People Who Have Sex with Men in Kazakhstan  (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33743115/);
  • Polydrug Use, Sexual Risk, and HIV Testing Among Cisgender Gay, Bisexual, and Other Men and Transgender and Nonbinary Individuals Who Have Sex With Men in Kazakhstan (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36181500/).
  • Reeder KG, Lee YG, Sung J, Vinogradov V, Zhakupova G, Mergenova G, Davis A, Paine EA, Primbetova S, Terlikbayeva A, Kali S, Hunt T, Wu E. Trans Health is Public Health: The Prevalence of HIV Among Trans and Gender Expansive People in Kazakhstan. Res Sq [Preprint]. 2024 Sep 24:rs.3.rs-5124958. doi: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-5124958/v1. PMID: 39399678; PMCID: PMC11469378.
  • Laughney, C. I., Lee, Y. G., Mergenova, G., Vinogradov, V., Zhakupova, G., Paine, E. A., … & Wu, E. (2023). Earlier Sexual Debut as a Risk Factor for Substance Use Among Men Who Have Sex with Men (MSM) in Kazakhstan. Global Social Welfare, 1-8.
  • Laughney CI, Lee YG, Mergenova G, Vinogradov V, Zhakupova G, Paine EA, Primbetova S, Terlikbayeva A, Wu E. Earlier Sexual Debut and Exchange Sex among Men Who Have Sex with Men (MSM) in Kazakhstan. J Sex Res. 2023 Jul;60(6):919-924. doi: 10.1080/00224499.2023.2167064. Epub 2023 Jan 19. PMID: 36657067; PMCID: PMC10354213.