HIV and current syphilis prevalence and related factors among men who have sex with men in Guangzhou

Objective To examine the prevalence of HIV and current syphilis and associate factors among men who have sex with men(MSM) in Guangzhou.Methods Participants were recruited from bars,baths,parks and network using snowball sampling in Guangzhou from October to December 2008.Each participant was provided an anonymous face-to-face questionnaire interview and HIV and syphilis antibody tests.Questionnaire contents included demographic characteristics of respondents,HIV/AIDS awareness,HIV prevention interventions,sexual behavior,and illegal drug use or related symptoms,venereal handling,etc.16 factors related with HIV and current syphilis infections including demographic characteristics of respondents,HIV/AIDS awareness,HIV prevention interventions,sex,etc were analyzed using single factor and logistic regression analysis of multiple factors.Results Among 452 participants interviewed,the prevalence of HIV and current syphilis were 4.9% and 6.0% respectively.63.9% of subjects self-identified themselves as homosexual,27.0% as bisexual.95.1% were aware of AIDS-related knowledge,70.1% have accepted HIV prevention interventions,24.3% of MSM received an HIV test in the past 12 months,90.3% had anal sex in the past 6 months,of whom,there were 66.2% had unprotected anal sex in the past 6 months,67.6% had 2 or more sex partners in the past 6 months.Multivariate analysis suggested that household register status(OR=5.4) and current syphilis infection(OR=3.9) were associated independently with HIV infection.Household register status(OR=7.0),self-reported sexually transmitted infection(STI) symptoms in the past 12 months(OR=2.9) and HIV infection(OR=4.1) were associated independently with current syphilis infection.Conclusion The findings indicated a high and possibly increasing prevalence of HIV and syphilis among MSM in Guangzhou.Comprehensive intervention targeting at migrant MSM,and screening and treatment of STIs among MSM should be the focus to curb the spread of HIV and syphilis among MSM in Guangzhou.