title: Prevalence and risk factors associated with HIV infection among men having sex with men in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.
abstract: To learn more about risk behaviors among men who have sex with men (MSM) in Vietnam and their prevalence of HIV, we conducted a study among MSM in Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) to determine HIV-1 prevalence and behaviors associated with infection. This consisted of formative (35 MSM) and cross-sectional (600 MSM) studies at 72 sites, including 75 transvestites, 55 bisexuals, 10 sex workers, and 460 other MSM. Only 5.3% cohabited with a wife/girlfriend, but 30% reported ever having sex with a female. Prevalence of HIV was 8%, ranging from 33% in sex workers to 7% among transvestites and other MSM. Injecting drugs, selling sex, being 20-40 years old, having less than 6 years of education, and having more than five male anal sex partners in the past month were associated with being HIV-infected. MSM are an HIV bridge group, and should be included in sentinel surveillance. Targeted interventions should be implemented.
authors.affiliation: National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology, Hanoi, Vietnam.
authors.forename: Tuan Anh
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Nguyen
authors.forename: Hien Tran
authors.initials: HT
authors.lastname: Nguyen
authors.forename: Giang Truong
authors.initials: GT
authors.lastname: Le
authors.forename: Roger
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Detels
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002391:Catchment Area, Health; D002648:Child; D003075:Coitus; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000635:transmission*; D018451:Homosexuality, Male / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D012725:Sexual Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014744:Vietnam / Q000453:epidemiology