title: Sexual behaviors and risk for sexually transmitted infections among teenage men who have sex with men.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To report on sexual behaviors and sexually transmitted infections (STIs) among men who have sex with men (MSM) in their teens, when many MSM engage in their first sexual experiences.
  
  
  METHODS
  MSM aged 16 to 20 years were recruited via community and other sources. Men completed a questionnaire about their sexual behaviors and were screened for gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphilis, and HIV.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Two hundred men were included. The median age was 19 years. The median age at first insertive or receptive anal intercourse was 17 years. Half of men reported sex with mainly older men: these men were more likely to engage in receptive anal intercourse (48% vs. 25%, p < .001) than other men. Most men had engaged in insertive (87%) and receptive (85%) anal intercourse in the prior 12 months with 60% and 53% reporting inconsistent condom use with insertive and receptive anal intercourse partners, respectively. The median number of insertive anal intercourse partners was 3 and 1.5 (p < .001) among men reporting inconsistent and consistent condom use with insertive anal intercourse over the prior 12 months. The median number of receptive anal intercourse partners was 3 and 2 (p = .006) among men reporting inconsistent and consistent condom use with receptive anal intercourse over the prior 12 months. Pharyngeal gonorrhea, rectal gonorrhea, urethral chlamydia, rectal chlamydia, and syphilis were detected in 3.0%, 5.5%, 3.0%, 4%, and 2.0% of men, respectively. All men were HIV negative.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Many of the teenage MSM in this study were at risk for STI. Preventative messages and STI screening interventions that are age appropriate need to be developed to reduce HIV and STI risk in this under-recognized group.
authors.affiliation: School of Population and Global Health, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia. Electronic address: rolfe1234@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Huachun
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zou
authors.affiliation: Kirby Institute, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia; Australian Research Centre in Sex, Health and Society, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia.
authors.forename: Garrett
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Prestage
authors.affiliation: School of Population and Global Health, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia; Central Clinical School, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia; Melbourne Sexual Health Centre, Alfred Health, Melbourne, Australia.
authors.forename: Christopher K
authors.initials: CK
authors.lastname: Fairley
authors.affiliation: Kirby Institute, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia.
authors.forename: Andrew E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Grulich
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia; Department of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Royal Women's Hospital, Melbourne, Australia; Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Melbourne, Australia.
authors.forename: Suzanne M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Garland
authors.affiliation: Centre for Women's Health, Gender and Society, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia.
authors.forename: Jane S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Hocking
authors.affiliation: School of Population and Global Health, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia; Central Clinical School, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia; Melbourne Sexual Health Centre, Alfred Health, Melbourne, Australia.
authors.forename: Catriona S
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Bradshaw
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Royal Women's Hospital, Melbourne, Australia; Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Melbourne, Australia.
authors.forename: Alyssa M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Cornall
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia; Department of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Royal Women's Hospital, Melbourne, Australia; Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Melbourne, Australia.
authors.forename: Sepehr N
authors.initials: SN
authors.lastname: Tabrizi
authors.affiliation: Melbourne Sexual Health Centre, Alfred Health, Melbourne, Australia.
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Morrow
authors.affiliation: School of Population and Global Health, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia; Central Clinical School, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia; Melbourne Sexual Health Centre, Alfred Health, Melbourne, Australia.
authors.forename: Marcus Y
authors.initials: MY
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D017677:Age Distribution; D001294:Attitude to Health; D001315:Australia / Q000453:epidemiology; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D017280:Condoms / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D006266:Health Education / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000458:organization & administration; D018451:Homosexuality, Male / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012309:Risk-Taking; D021841:Safe Sex / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012725:Sexual Behavior / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012747:Sexual Partners; D012749:Sexually Transmitted Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014505:Urban Population; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Gay and bisexual men; Sexual behaviors; Sexually transmitted infections; Teenage men who have sex with men