title: Repeated HIV Voluntary Counseling and Testing Increased Risk Behaviors Among Men Who Have Sex with Men in China: A Prospective Cohort Study.
abstract: High risk MSM are recommended to take up HIV voluntary counseling and testing (VCT) once every 6 months. 809 HIV-negative MSM in Beijing, China entered the 18-month prospective cohort study; 228 joined an extended study at month 21. The majority (92.5 %) of the participants had taken up four rounds of VCT over the study period. HIV prevalence at months 0, 6, 12, 18 and 21 ranged from 2.5 to 6.3 %; HIV incidences for the four intervals between the five visits ranged from 5.00 to 14.28 per 100-person year. Despite experiencing repeated VCT, high levels of risk behaviors were reported at month 21. 18 % of the participants interviewed at month 21 self-reported increased in UAI and other risk behaviors, comparing recent and pre-baseline experiences. HIV transmission and risk behaviors had not been reduced by multiple rounds of VCT. Reasons behind apparent ineffectiveness and tailored repeated testing strategies need to be investigated.
authors: Centre for Health Behaviours Research, JC School of Public Health and Primary Care, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China. jlau@cuhk.edu.hk.|CUHK Shenzhen Research Institute (SZRI), Shenzhen, China. jlau@cuhk.edu.hk.|Centre for Medical Anthropology and Behavioral Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China. jlau@cuhk.edu.hk.
authors: Joseph T F
authors: JT
authors: Lau
authors: Chaoyang Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, China.
authors: Dongliang
authors: D
authors: Li
authors: Centre for Health Behaviours Research, JC School of Public Health and Primary Care, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.|CUHK Shenzhen Research Institute (SZRI), Shenzhen, China.
authors: Zixin
authors: Z
authors: Wang
authors: Centre for Health Behaviours Research, JC School of Public Health and Primary Care, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.
authors: Coco H Y
authors: CH
authors: Lai
mesh_terms: D015492:AIDS Serodiagnosis / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D000328:Adult; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D003376:Counseling / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D006679:HIV Seropositivity / Q000523:psychology; D018451:Homosexuality, Male / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012309:Risk-Taking; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
keywords: China; HIV incidence; Men who have sex with men; Repeated HIV voluntary counseling and testing; Risk behaviors