Abstract
To assess HIV prevention services access among men who have sex with men (MSM) that recently migrated to Beijing, we conducted a cross-sectional study from October 2010 to January 2011 in Beijing using social network based recruitment. Ten “seeds” were selected purposefully. Each subsequent participant was given three recruitment cards to hand to potential recruits. Participants completed a computer-assisted interviewer-administered questionnaire. Questions included demographic information, sexual behaviors, HIV testing information, drug use information. Partner-by-partner sexual behavior, condom use, HIV discussion and HIV status disclosure were assessed. In total, 500 participants were recruited. Twenty percent of the participants reported living in Beijing for less than two years. Short-term MSM residents of Beijing were more likely to be under 20 years old, have lower educational attainment, lower income and lack health insurance compared to long-term MSM residents. In terms of access to HIV prevention services, fewer short-term residents accessed services than long-term residents did. Short-term residents in our study had fewer MSM peers in their social networks, taken with the finding that many men find out about HIV prevention programs through social networks. This suggests that short-term residents are at a disadvantage in being aware of the HIV prevention services available to them. HIV prevention programs must make a concerted effort to reach out to recent migrant MSM. Key words: Men who have sex with men, migrants, China, HIV prevention services, HIV testing.
Highlights
Migrants, internal migrants, have been identified as a key population at risk for HIV infection in China (Hong et al, 2006)
To assess HIV prevention services access among men who have sex with men (MSM) that recently migrated to Beijing, we conducted a cross-sectional study from October 2010 to January 2011 in Beijing using social network based recruitment
Short-term MSM residents of Beijing were more likely to be under 20 years old, have lower educational attainment, lower income and lack health insurance compared to long-term MSM residents
Summary
Internal migrants, have been identified as a key population at risk for HIV infection in China (Hong et al, 2006). This group includes men who have sex with men (MSM), a population known to be central to the HIV epidemic in China (He et al, 2007). The combination of HIV risk associated with migrant status and those associated being MSM may well compound these individuals'. Migrants in China are often not eligible for, or find it difficult to access services in their new residence location, which may compound the risk of HIV transmission among this group (Zhang, 2001). Knowing one’s status and responsibility to partners may influence the uptake of HIV testing, when including discussions of HIV with sexual partners (Lorenc et al, 2011)
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