Change in Sexual Behaviour Among Men Who have Sex with Men During the COVID-19 Pandemic in the Czechia

Abstract

Introduction: The study sought to identify changes in sexual activity during the COVID-19 pandemic among men who have sex with men. Methods: The descriptive cross-sectional study used a questionnaire survey distributed on social networks using the snowball method in the Czech Republic. Statistical procedures were performed in SPSS and MS Excel. After descriptive statistics, association analysis was performed using the Pearson x2 test. Cramer’s V and the Contingency Coefficient were used to verify the strength of the association. Pearson’s adjusted standardized residuals were analyzed to interpret the associations. Results: A total of 701 MSM met the inclusion criteria. The median age was 25-29 years. The majority of respondents (77.6%) identified themselves as homosexual. Most respondents (74.5%) did not take steps to reduce the risk of infection with COVID-19. Most respondents (55.7%) stated that their sexual activity had not changed compared to the time before the pandemic, with some partial exceptions (e.g. sexting). A moderately strong association was identified between alteration of overall sexual activity and age at sexual initiation, number of sexual partners/year and sexual activity/week. Conclusion: The subpopulation of MSM in the Czech Republic did not reflect significant changes in sexual behaviour during the pandemic of COVID-19 compared to before. Polocy implications: The research findings suggest there is no need to implement widespread changes in the approach to MSM sexual behaviour. Current societal settings and systems of support for sexual behaviour appear robust even in critical times.