HIV Testing and Risks of Sexual Behavior among HIV-Negative Men Who Have Sex with Men in Ningbo, China.

Haibo Jiang,Lin He,Hongjun Dong,Jun Jiang,Hang Hong

doi:10.3390/ijerph17041322

Abstract

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) testing is confirmed as a preventive strategy for HIV control. However, the testing rate and risk behaviors of HIV-negative men who have sex with men (MSM) remain unclear. We aimed to examine factors associated with HIV testing and high-risk behaviors among HIV-negative MSM. From July 2016 to June 2017, participants were recruited by snowball sampling from WeChat groups, bars, and other venues. HIV testing was performed to exclude HIV-positive MSM. Face-to-face questionnaires regarding HIV testing and high-risk behaviors were conducted; 988 MSM were included, and 57.1% of participants underwent HIV testing in the past year. The proportion of high-risk behaviors was 49.9%. Factors associated with HIV testing were bisexual orientation, substance use to adjust psychiatric disorders, and receiving acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) interventions. Being married, bisexual orientation, and receiving AIDS interventions were risk factors for high-risk sexual behaviors, while college or higher degree was a protective factor. We determined that HIV transmission factors are widespread, and the rate of HIV testing is relatively low. Attention should be given to marital status, using substances to adjust psychiatric disorders, or bisexual HIV-negative MSM, and AIDS interventions should be strengthened to promote HIV testing and reduce high-risk behaviors.

Highlights

In 2014, the Joint United Nations Program on human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)/acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) proposed the vision of “ending AIDS in 2030” and achieving “three 90%” prevention and treatment goals in 2020 [1]
In addition to two men who have sex with men (MSM) who were excluded from the survey, the HIV testing rate was found to be only 57.0% (564/990) in the last year, which was similar to the results of the respondent-driven sampling survey among MSM conducted by LI R et al in Hangzhou (56.8%) [24], but lower than the proportion of detection reported in the US in 2013 (67.0%) [25]
We found the awareness rate of AIDS knowledge (91.7%) among HIV-negative MSM was high, but the proportion of high-risk behaviors in the past three months was as high as 49.9%, which was lower than the rate revealed by Lin He and others who conducted a survey in Hangzhou in

Summary

Introduction

In 2014, the Joint United Nations Program on human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)/acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) proposed the vision of “ending AIDS in 2030” and achieving “three 90%” prevention and treatment goals in 2020 [1]. These targets include 90% of individuals living with HIV being aware of their HIV infection, 90% of those receiving antiretroviral treatment (ART), and 90% of people receiving ART having successful suppression of viral load. According to the estimated epidemic situation in Zhejiang Province in 2016 [7], the proportion of PLWHA diagnosed at the end of 2016 was only 71.3%, and the diagnosis rate among men who have sex with men (MSM) was 62.0%, which was

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