The prevalence of HIV infection and sexual behaviors among men who have sex with men and women in Chengdu and Guangzhou, China

Abstract

To understand the status of HIV infection and sexual behaviors with men and women among men who have sex with men and women (MSMW) and documented for HIV epidemic among men who have sex with men to the general population. 300 participants were recruited by using "snowballing" sampling in Chengdu and Guangzhou, respectively. Participants completed the questionnaire and HIV test. The questionnaire included social demographic characteristics, number of male sexual partners, sexual behaviors and condom use in the past 6 months. Relations with female sexual partners, vaginal intercourse and condom use in the past 12 months were also studied. Of the 600 participants, the overall prevalence of HIV infection was 26.2% and the detection rate of HIV-positives in this survey was 8.5%. In the past 6 months 28.0% of the participants had 5 or more male sexual partners and the percentage of MSMW who had used condoms consistently during anal sex intercourse with men, was 44.2%. Of the participants, 52.3% had used condoms in the last three anal sex events and 63.0% in the last event. In the past 12 months, 86.0% of the participants who had vaginal sex with female partners and the proportions of MSMW who had wife, girlfriend, lover, female casual partner and female commercial partner were 65.0%, 27.2%, 1.5%, 12.7%, 4.5%, respectively. About a third of the MSMW had always used condoms when having vaginal sex in the past 12 month. In the last three vaginal sex events, the proportion of participants who had never used condoms was 36.5%. In the past 6 months, 55.7% of the MSMWs had used condoms consistently during anal sex with men in Chengdu, which was higher than those MSMW in Guangzhou (32.7%). In the past 12 months, the proportion of MSMW who had used condoms consistently during vaginal sex was 38.3%, which was higher than MSMW of Guangzhou (25.3%). Among those HIV-positive MSMWs, 91.1% had anal sex with men in the past 6 months and 49.7% HIV-positive MSMW had used condoms consistently during anal sex with men. The number of HIV-positive MSMW who had used condoms in the last or last three anal sex events with men, accounted for 60.5% and 69.4%, respectively. In the past 12 months, 82.8% of the HIV-positive participants had vaginal sex with women. Of the HIV-positive participants, 42.0% used condoms consistently and the percentage of HIV-positive MSMWs who used condom during last three vaginal sexes was 47.8%. In the past 6 months, the percentage (4.3%) of MSMW who were HIV-positive prior to the survey and never used condoms during anal sex with men was lower than the percentage (22.0%) of MSMW who were HIV-positive found in this survey. In the past 12 months 12.9% of the MSMW who were HIV positive prior to the survey never used condoms when having vaginal sex event, which was lower than MSMW (46.3%) who were HIV positive in this survey. The prevalence of HIV infection had reached a quite high level and with high rates of unprotected anal sex with men and vaginal sex with women among MSMWs, indicating that the inherent bridging aspect of MSMW might accelerate the spreading of HIV infection to the general population.