Stigma and healthcare access among men who have sex with men and transgender women who have sex with men in Senegal.

Objectives: Cisgender gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men and transgender women experience HIV incidence disparities in Senegal. These analyses determined how depression and different stigma mechanisms related to sexual behavior are associated with healthcare access, sexually transmitted infection testing, and HIV testing among cisgender gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men and transgender women across three cities in western Senegal.
Methods: Logistic regression assessed the relationship of three stigma scales (stigma from family and friends, anticipated healthcare stigma, and general social stigma) and depression with these outcomes.
Results: Depression and stigma were not associated with healthcare access, sexually transmitted infection testing, or HIV testing. However, individuals who had disclosed their sexual identity to a medical provider were more likely to test for HIV.
Conclusions: Sexual behavior stigma experienced by cisgender gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men and trans women in Senegal may not limit access to routine healthcare, but may limit disclosure of sexual orientation and practices, limiting access to appropriate HIV prevention services.
Competing Interests: Declaration of conflicting interests: The author(s) declared the following potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: The funders had no role in the study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript. Kate Dibble, Stefan Baral, Matthew Beymer, Shauna Stahlman, Carrie Lyons, Oluwasolape Olawore, Cheikh Ndour, Gnilane Turpin Nunez, Coumba Toure-Kane, Nafissatou Leye Diouf, Daouda Diouf, Fatou Maria Drame, Souleymane Mboup, and Sarah Murray have no conflicts of interest to disclose.
(© The Author(s) 2022.)