Mapping the Spatial-Temporal Distribution and Migration Patterns of Men Who Have Sex with Men in Mainland China: A Web-Based Study.

Dacang Huang,Tengfei Yang,Jinfeng Wang

doi:10.3390/ijerph17051469

Abstract

The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection rate for men who have sex with men (MSM) has rapidly increased in recent years in China and the migrant population accounts for a large proportion of this increase. The migration of MSM not only poses difficulties for government departments charged with treating the disease, but also increases the spread of HIV in geographical space, so it is important to understand the geographical distribution and migrant patterns of MSM. We searched the largest dating website in China to obtain open information from all users in the Chinese mainland from January 2006 to August 2017. For the analysis, the datasets were merged according to units of time and administrative regions. In total, 1,356,609 records were obtained for this study. The main users of the website were single males aged 18–35 years old. Most of the users were located in the large and mid-sized cities of East China. The distribution of MSM was strongly associated with the distribution of the development of service industry in geographical space. The main flow of MSM are mainly located inside the province as internal flow. For those MSM who prefer to migrate to other provinces, the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei area, the Yangtze River Delta, the Pearl River Delta, and Sichuan and Chongqing area were their primary destinations. The interprovincial migration behavior of MSM was closely related to an increased average income. MSM prefer to migrate to cities with developed economies and open cultures. It is important to strengthen the management of migrant MSM and increase their basic understanding of HIV.

Highlights

The transmission of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) has been increasing significantly among men who have sex with men (MSM)
Most Chinese citizens are fond of their hometowns and prefer to study and find jobs near their hometowns. For those MSM who prefer to migrate to other provinces, the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei area, the Yangtze River Delta, the Pearl River Delta, and Sichuan and Chongqing area were their primary destinations
Migrant MSM have become a major demographic who are vulnerable to HIV in China [5]

Summary

Introduction

The transmission of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) has been increasing significantly among men who have sex with men (MSM). Because HIV can spread quickly in the social cycle of MSM [1], this demographic has become a global burden in relation to the prevalence of HIV [2]. China has a large population of MSM, with previous research estimating that there are between. 3,100,000 and 6,300,000 MSM in the country [3]. The infection rate of HIV among MSM in China increased slightly from 2.5% in 2006 to 5.7% in 2010, and sharply increased from 7.5% in 2013 to 25.5%. Among the self-reported cases of MSM who were infected with HIV in 2008–2015, the migrant population accounted for 46.1% [5]. Migrant MSM have become a major group who are vulnerable to HIV

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion