A Survey of Knowledge,Attitude and Practice Related to HIV/AIDS among Men Who Have Sex with Men in a Northeast City of China.

Objective To evaluate knowledge and attitude related to HIV/AIDS and describe the high risk behaviors that can cause HIV epidemic among men who have sex with men in China Methods We conducted a cross-sectional survey of 215 MSM with a face to face interview Results Most of the participants were well educated,but had poor knowledge of HIV/AIDS,and they obtained the knowledge by reading newspapers and magazines or by watching TV,and few people received such knowledge from doctors Only 14 4% of the participants reported consistent condom use with their male sex partners The main reasons of not using a condom were: the partners or MSM themselves did not like to use of condom or condoms were not available when they had sex The proportion of consistent condom using increased and the proportion of never using condom declined distinctly with the increasing level of the knowledge of HIV/AIDS Of 215 participants,11 7% had been tested for HIV antibody and no one selfreported to be HIV antibody positive The median age of the first sex was 18 years,average number of male sex partners was 10 3,and 40 5% of the participants had female and 96 6% had male sex partners in the past six months Most of the participants(84 5%)had unprotected anal intercourse with male partners in the past six months Conclusion Poor knowledge of HIV/AIDS and high-risk sexual behaviors were ubiquitous among MSM and potential HIV epidemic may occur in this population It is imperative to carry out targeted interventions for MSM