title: Behavioral and serologic survey of men who have sex with men in Beijing, China: implication for HIV intervention.
abstract: We assessed HIV prevalence and associated behaviors and risk factors among men who have sex with men (MSM) in Beijing, China. Five hundred MSM were recruited for a biological and behavioral survey using respondent-driven sampling (RDS) in 2009. Serologic specimens were tested for markers of HIV and syphilis infection. A computer-assisted personal interview (CAPI) administered questionnaire gathered information including demographic characteristics, sexual behaviors, HIV testing, and social norms concerning condom use. The adjusted HIV prevalence was 8.0%, syphilis 22.0%. HIV testing and disclosure was low; only 39.3% had HIV tested in the past 12 months, 49.7% knew their own HIV status and 22.8% knew their last male partner's HIV status. HIV infection was associated with syphilis, ever having sex with a woman, not knowing the HIV status of the most recent male partner, and never buying condoms in the past 12 months. Stronger endorsement of positive social norms around condom use strongly and predicted lower prevalence of HIV infection. Compared to surveys of similar design in the recent past, HIV continues to spread rapidly among Beijing's MSM. Our results identify points of intervention that, if addressed in time, may still alter the course of the epidemic including the promotion of HIV testing and partner disclosure, syphilis control and particularly changing social norms around condom use.
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory for Infectious Disease Prevention and Control, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, PR China.
authors.forename: Song
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fan
authors.forename: Hongyan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.forename: Xiaoyan
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.forename: Yanming
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: Xiong
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: He
authors.forename: Chunmei
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: H F
authors.initials: HF
authors.lastname: Raymond
authors.forename: Willi
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: McFarland
authors.forename: Jiangping
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.forename: Yujiang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Jia
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Xiao
authors.forename: Yiming
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Shao
authors.forename: Yuhua
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ruan
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D017280:Condoms / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015528:HIV Seroprevalence; D006306:Health Surveys / Q000379:methods; D018451:Homosexuality, Male / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D012309:Risk-Taking; D012725:Sexual Behavior / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012747:Sexual Partners; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013587:Syphilis / Q000453:epidemiology*