Despite a slight increase in HIV testing among Scottish men who have sex with men (MSM), few of them became repeat or regular testers, according to a study published online by Sexually Transmitted Infections and reported on by aidsmap.

According to the article, 8,305 men participated in seven different surveys conducted between 1996 and 2005. The proportion of men in each survey who were getting tested for the first time increased from 50 to 58 percent during the nine-year period. The proportion of men who had been tested the year before the survey increased from 28 to 33 percent.

The analysis showed that as men aged they were less likely to have tested recently. The study’s authors believe that challenging stigmas associated with the virus and working to normalize regular HIV testing at the community level are necessary to get more people tested.

The surveys were conducted in Glasgow and Edinburgh.