title: HIV and syphilis prevalence trends among men who have sex with men in Guangxi, China: yearly cross-sectional surveys, 2008-2012.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Men who have sex with men (MSM) represent the fastest growing key population for incident HIV cases in China. We examined five consecutive years of HIV and syphilis prevalence and risk factors data among MSM in Guangxi Province with the second highest estimated number of people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHAs) in China in 2011.
  
  
  METHODS
  We collected demographic and behavioral data from national sentinel surveillance and HIV/syphilis blood samples in five annual cross-sectional surveys from 2008 to 2012. We analyzed HIV and syphilis prevalence trends stratified by social/behavioral characteristics.
  
  
  RESULTS
  HIV prevalence climbed steadily from 1.7% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.0 to 3.0) in 2008 to 3.7% (95% CI: 3.0 to 5.0) in 2012. Syphilis prevalence increased steadily from 5.1% (95% CI: 4.0 to 6.0) in 2008 to 8.4% (95% CI: 7.0 to 10.0) in 2012. HIV prevalence rose notably among MSM who were ≤25 years of age, never married, did not engage in sexual intercourse with women in the past six months, and had not been tested for HIV in the past year. Syphilis prevalence rose notably among MSM who were >25 years of age, ever married or living with a partner, and engaged in sexual intercourse with women in the past six months. HIV prevalence was much higher in MSM with current syphilis than without. Finally, current syphilis was the most significant predictor of HIV infection, and age was the most significant predictor of syphilis infection.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  HIV and the syphilis prevalence expansion among MSM suggest an urgent public health prevention challenge for Guangxi provincial health officials. Risk factors for each infection differed such that all MSM, each of whom might be at risk of HIV, syphilis or both, should be targets for heavy intervention.
authors.forename: Xiaofang
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Guanghua
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Lan
authors.forename: Zhiyong
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Shen
authors.forename: Sten H
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Vermund
authors.forename: Qiuying
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: Yi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Kaveh
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Khoshnood
authors.forename: Zunyou
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: Institute of HIV/AIDS Prevention and Control, Guangxi Center for Disease Control and Prevention, No, 18 Jinzhou Rd, Qingxiu District, Nanning 530028, Guangxi, PR China. tangzhzh@163.com.
authors.forename: Zhenzhu
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Tang
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology*; D018451:Homosexuality, Male / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D018571:Sentinel Surveillance; D012747:Sexual Partners; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013587:Syphilis / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology*