title: HIV prevalence and related risk behaviors in men who have sex with men, Yemen 2011.
abstract: Men who have sex with men (MSM) are at growing risk of HIV infection in many parts of the world; however, the epidemic has not been well explored among this population in most Arab countries. To estimate the prevalence of HIV and related risk behaviors among MSM in Yemen, we recruited 261 adult MSM from the port cities of Aden and Al-Hudaydah through venue- and facility-based sampling. Behavioral data were collected with a face-to-face questionnaire, and HIV status was determined by serological testing. HIV prevalence was 5.9 % (95 % CI 4.8-7.3). One-fourth (25.8 %, 95 % CI 20.7-31.5) had tested for HIV in the last year and received results; 27.8 % (95 % CI 22.5-33.7) had comprehensive knowledge about HIV; 20.0 % (95 % CI 15.8-25.0) reported condom use at last anal sex; and 31.4 % (95 % CI 25.9-37.3) reported that they or their sexual partner had a sexually transmitted disease symptom. Injecting drugs in the last year was reported by 0.8 % (95 % CI 0.1-9.2). Multiple risk behaviors, low HIV knowledge, few preventive behaviors, and HIV prevalence greater than 5 % denote a concentrated and potentially expanding HIV epidemic among MSM in Yemen. No time should be lost in intervening to prevent further expansion of the epidemic to levels already seen among MSM outside the Middle East.
authors.affiliation: Regional Knowledge Hub, and WHO Collaborating Centre for HIV Surveillance, Institute for Futures Studies in Health, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran, ali.mirzazadeh@hivhub.ir.
authors.forename: Ali
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mirzazadeh
authors.forename: Faran
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Emmanuel
authors.forename: Fouzia
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Gharamah
authors.forename: Abdul Hamed
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Al-Suhaibi
authors.forename: Hamidreza
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Setayesh
authors.forename: Willi
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: McFarland
authors.forename: Ali Akbar
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Haghdoost
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D017280:Condoms / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D015528:HIV Seroprevalence; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006306:Health Surveys; D018451:Homosexuality, Male / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011159:Population Surveillance; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D012309:Risk-Taking; D012747:Sexual Partners; D012749:Sexually Transmitted Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D047568:Unsafe Sex / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D014505:Urban Population; D015006:Yemen / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult