Feasibility study on intervention for AIDS prevention and control among men who have sex with men with Internet

Objective To indentify the effect of Internet on AIDS related knowledge,behavior and testing in MSM,and to explore the feasibility of intervention for AIDS prevention and control among them with Internet.Methods A respondent-driven sampling was used to recruit 477 MSM for a face-to-face questionnaire survey between July and September in 2009.The data collected were processed and analyzed with SPSS.Results There were significant differences between Internet MSM and non-Internet MSM in marital status(χ2=8.696,P=0.027),education(χ2=8.303,P=0.016) and household register(χ2=13.252,P=0.001).The awareness rate of knowledge related to AIDS prevention and control among Internet MSM was higher than among non-Internet MSM(91.4% vs.82.9%,χ2=6.724,P=0.010).Non-Internet MSM had more homosexual sex partners than Internet MSM in the last six months(4.52±6.75vs.2.91±3.45,t=-2.286,P=0.024,χ2=9.932,P=0.019).The consistent condom-using rate with homosexual sex partners in the last six months among Internet MSM was 34.9% and that among non-Internet MSM was 33.0%.Conclusion Internet has positive impact on AIDS related knowledge and behavior in MSM.We should value and strengthen the use of Internet to implement AIDS prevention and control among MSM.