Prevalence of HIV infection and predictors of high-transmission sexual risk behaviors among men who have sex with men.
OBJECTIVE
We sought to determine the prevalence of HIV and novel cofactors of high-transmission-risk behavior in a probability sample of men who have sex with men (MSM).


METHODS
We performed a cross-sectional telephone survey of 1976 adult MSM in San Francisco.


RESULTS
We found an HIV prevalence of 25.2%. Predictors of unprotected insertive anal intercourse with a serodiscordant (not having the same HIV/AIDS serostatus) partner among HIV-infected men included use of Viagra and a greater number of partners in the past 12 months. Unprotected receptive anal intercourse with a serodiscordant partner among men not known to be HIV infected was independently associated with having lived in San Francisco for less than 1 year, use of crystal methamphetamine and amyl nitrites, a greater number of partners, and agreement with the statement, "You are less careful about being safe with sex or drugs than you were several years ago because there are better treatments for HIV now."


CONCLUSIONS
Strategies to prevent HIV for urban MSM should focus on new predictors of HIV transmission.
Schwarcz
Sandra
S
San Francisco Department of Public Health, Calif 94102, USA. sandy.schwarcz@sfdph.org
Scheer
Susan
S
McFarland
Willi
W
Katz
Mitchell
M
Valleroy
Linda
L
Chen
Sanny
S
Catania
Joseph
J
D000328:Adult; D023241:Antiretroviral Therapy, Highly Active; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000635:transmission*; D018451:Homosexuality, Male; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D015995:Prevalence; D012309:Risk-Taking; D012495:San Francisco / Q000453:epidemiology; D012725:Sexual Behavior; D015229:Sexually Transmitted Diseases, Viral / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000635:transmission*; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires