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PubMed1999

Factors associated with hepatitis B vaccination among men having sexual relations with men in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Omega Study Group.

OBJECTIVE: To determine factors associated with hepatitis B virus (HBV) vaccination status among HIV-uninfected men who have affective and sexual relations with men (MASM) in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. METHODS: The Omega Cohort is a study of the incidence and psychosocial determinants of HIV infection among MASM in Montreal. Participants complete a questionnaire and are HIV-tested every 6 months. At baseline, we also performed testing for HBV markers and collected data on HBV vaccination history. RESULTS: Forty-six percent of 653 participants had received at least one dose of HBV vaccination, whereas 28% were completely vaccinated. Lack of vaccination was associated with injection drug use, having > or =20 regular lifetime partners, living outside Montreal, not having sex in bathhouses, and not having consulted a physician aware of the participant's sexual orientation. Among vaccinated MASM, incomplete vaccination was associated with having <20 lifetime casual partners, trading sex for drugs, having given goods for sex, having had unprotected anal sex with regular partners, and having no history of a previous sexually transmitted disease. CONCLUSION: A significant proportion of Montreal's MASM, some of whom are at risk of contracting HBV through sexual and parenteral transmission, have not been vaccinated for HBV. Men who have affective and sexual relations with men should be educated about the risk of HBV transmission and the seriousness of the disease.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1997

AIDS epidemic in San Francisco among men who report sex with men: successes and challenges of HIV prevention.

San Francisco's gay male community has been hit harder by the HIV/AIDS epidemic than any other community in the world. By 1995, 20,530 of the estimated 58,000 gay men had been diagnosed with AIDS. However, the epidemic has also been more effectively contained within San Francisco than anywhere else, as evidenced by rapidly dropping AIDS incidence and mortality rates. This article reviews the epidemiology of HIV/AIDS among men who report sex with men (MSM) in San Francisco and the successful prevention efforts in this community. Also cited are areas in which the San Francisco prevention model has been less effective, in particular young MSM and gay men of color. San Francisco's experience yields many lessons about the successes and challenges of HIV prevention. Although community mobilization has been effective in reducing infection rates, innovative techniques to address the special needs of young MSM and to prevent the return to unsafe sex among all MSM are needed.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗
PubMed2000

Very young gay and bisexual men are at risk for HIV infection: the San Francisco Bay Area Young Men's Survey II.

OBJECTIVES: To compare HIV seroprevalence and sexual risk behavior among very young gay and bisexual men (aged 15-17 years) and their older counterparts (aged 18-22 years). To examine drug-use patterns and correlates of sexual risk behavior in both of these age groups. DESIGN AND METHODS: An interviewer-administered cross-sectional survey of 719 gay and bisexual males between 15 and 22 years old was conducted through a venue-based sampling design. Blood specimens were collected and tested for HIV antibodies, hepatitis B, and syphilis. Interviews assessed sexual and drug-use behavior as well as psychosocial variables believed to be related to sexual risk-taking, including self-acceptance of gay or bisexual identity, perceptions of peer norms concerning safer sex, and perceptions of the ability to practice safer sex (safer sex self-efficacy). RESULTS: Of the 719 participants, 100 (16.2%) were aged between 15 and 17 years. HIV seroprevalence was somewhat lower among those aged 15 to 17 years (2.0%) compared with those aged 18 to 22 years (6.8%). Overall, the prevalence of hepatitis-B core antibody was significantly lower in the younger age group (5.0%) than in the older group (14.1%). The men aged 15 to 17 years used alcohol, ecstasy, and heroin less frequently than those aged 18 to 22 years. The age groups did not differ in the proportion of men who reported any unprotected anal intercourse in the previous 6 months (31.2%). In both age groups, use of amphetamines, ecstasy, and amyl nitrate was associated with unprotected anal intercourse. Self-acceptance of gay or bisexual identity was related to less sexual risk for those aged 15 to 17 years. In both age groups, greater safer sex self-efficacy was linked to less HIV sexual risk-taking. In the younger group, perceptions of peer norms that support safer sex were related to less risk behavior. CONCLUSIONS: Very young gay and bisexual men engage in unprotected anal sex at rates comparable with those for their somewhat older counterparts, raising serious concern over their risk of acquiring HIV infection. To prevent seroconversions, interventions must target those <18 years of age, and prevention programs should address the use of certain drugs in relation to sex and sexual risk-taking. To be most effective, programs should develop innovative communication strategies to take into account lack of self-acceptance of gay or bisexual identity and low self-efficacy for practicing safer sex.

1-Methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine↗
PubMed2004

Associations of race/ethnicity with HIV prevalence and HIV-related behaviors among young men who have sex with men in 7 urban centers in the United States.

Using data from a multisite venue-based survey of male subjects aged 15 to 22 years, we examined racial/ethnic differences in demographics, partner type, partner type-specific condom use, drug use, and HIV prevalence in 3316 US black, multiethnic black, Latino, and white men who have sex with men (MSM). We further estimated associations of these factors with HIV infection and their influence on racial/ethnic disparities in HIV prevalence. HIV prevalences were 16% for both black and multiethnic black participants, 6.9% for Latinos, and 3.3% for whites. Paradoxically, potentially risky sex and drug-using behaviors were generally reported most frequently by whites and least frequently by blacks. In a multiple logistic regression analysis, positive associations with HIV included older age, being out of school or work, sex while on crack cocaine, and anal sex with another male regardless of reported condom use level. Differences in these factors did not explain the racial/ethnic disparities in HIV prevalence, with both groups of blacks experiencing more than 9 times and Latinos experiencing approximately twice the fully adjusted odds of infection compared with whites. Understanding racial/ethnic disparities in HIV risk requires information beyond the traditional risk behavior and partnership type distinctions. Prevention programs should address risks in steady partnerships, target young men before sexual initiation with male partners, and tailor interventions to men of color and of lower socioeconomic status.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2004

Importance of sex partner HIV status in HIV risk assessment among men who have sex with men.

Clinical HIV risk assessments have not typically integrated questions about sex partners' HIV status with questions about condom use and type of sex. Since 2001, we have asked all men who have sex with men (MSM) evaluated in an urban sexually transmitted disease (STD) clinic how often in the preceding 12 months they used condoms for anal sex with partners who were HIV-positive, HIV-negative, and of unknown HIV status. Overall, MSM displayed a pattern of assortative mixing by HIV status, particularly for unprotected anal intercourse (UAI). Nevertheless, 433 (27%) of 1580 MSM who denied knowing they were HIV-positive and 93 (43%) of 217 HIV-positive MSM reported having UAI with a partner of opposite or unknown HIV status. Among men who denied previously knowing they were HIV-positive, 24 (9.6%) of 251 MSM who reported having UAI with an HIV-positive partner or partner of unknown HIV status compared with 11 (1.7%) of 620 MSM who denied such exposure tested HIV-positive (odds ratio=5.8, 95% confidence interval: 2.8-12.1). UAI with an HIV-positive partner or partner with unknown HIV status was 69% sensitive and 73% specific in identifying men with previously undiagnosed HIV infection; UAI regardless of partner HIV status was 80% sensitive but only 45% specific. The positive predictive value was highest for risk assessments that included partner HIV status. Integrating questions about anal sex partner HIV status and condom use identifies MSM at greatest risk for HIV acquisition and transmission. These risk criteria might be effectively used to triage MSM into more intensive prevention interventions.

AIDS Serodiagnosis↗
PubMed2005

Evidence of a previously undocumented epidemic of HIV infection among men who have sex with men in Bangkok, Thailand.

BACKGROUND: The HIV prevalence and associated risk behaviours in Thai men who have sex with men (MSM) are unknown. This information is crucial to inform and implement targeted preventive interventions for this population. METHODS: A cross-sectional assessment, using venue-day-time sampling, was conducted. Participants were 1121 Thai men who were 18 years or older, were residents of Bangkok, and reported anal or oral sex with a man during the past 6 months. Oral fluid specimens were tested for HIV antibody. Demographic and behavioural data were collected using an interviewer-administered Palm based automated questionnaire. RESULTS: HIV prevalence was 17.3% (194 of 1121). Mean age was 26.9 years (median 25 years), and university education was completed by 42.5%. Sex with men and women during the past 6 months was reported by 22.3%; sex with a woman ever, 36%; and unprotected sexual intercourse during the past 3 months, 36.0%. Alcohol use during the past 3 months was common (73.7%); drug use was rare (2.5%). Multivariate logistic regression analyses showed lower education, recruitment from a park, self-identification as homosexual, receptive and insertive anal intercourse, more years since first anal intercourse, and more male sex partners to be significantly and independently associated with HIV prevalence. CONCLUSIONS: HIV infection is common among MSM in Bangkok. HIV prevention programs are urgently needed to prevent further spread of HIV in this young and sexually active population.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2005

High HIV, hepatitis C and sexual risks among drug-using men who have sex with men in northern Thailand.

BACKGROUND: Men who have sex with men (MSM) and who use drugs have shown high HIV risks in Europe, and the Americas. We investigated MSM-drug user demographics, HIV sexual and drug use risks and behaviors in Chiang Mai, northern Thailand to identify prevention targets. METHODS: A total of 2005 males aged 13 years and older were enrolled during inpatient drug treatment from 1999-2000 and assessed for HIV, hepatitis C virus (HCV), syphilis, and for demographics and risks by questionnaire. Data were analyzed using chi and multiple logistic regression to estimate odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). RESULTS: Of 2005 males in treatment, 1752 (87.4%) had ever had sex, and 66 of 1752 (3.8%) reported ever having sex with another man; mostly Katoey (transgendered male) partners. MSM had higher HIV rates (OR, 2.32; 95% CI, 1.36-3.96) and were younger (P = 0.002); more likely to be Thai (P < 0.0001); better educated (P < 0.0001); had more lifetime sex partners (P < 0.0001), more female partners (P = 0.002), more female paid partners (P < 0.0001), and been paid for sex (P < 0.0001). MSM were more likely to have ever injected (P < 0.0001), sold drugs, been in prison, injected in prison, used heroin, and to have HCV (OR, 2.59; 95% CI, 1.55-4.34). CONCLUSIONS: Northern Thai MSM-drug users are at high HIV and HCV risk. In addition to sex risks with men, they have more sex with women and sex workers than other men, which fits Thai MSM patterns but not Western ones. Prevention must take into account their high rates of substance use and multiple partner types.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2003

Hepatitis A and B vaccination in a sexually transmitted disease clinic for men who have sex with men.

BACKGROUND: Sexually transmitted disease clinics can deliver hepatitis vaccines to men who have sex with men, but have been reluctant to do so because of perceived low vaccination completion rates. GOAL: The goal was to evaluate hepatitis A and B vaccination eligibility, acceptance, and completion and the effectiveness of reminder/recall in a sexually transmitted disease clinic serving men who have sex with men. DESIGN: Clients self-reported their eligibility for free vaccine. Consenting clients who accepted a first dose of vaccine were systematically assigned to receive telephone reminder/recall or standard follow-up. RESULTS: Of 1203 clients, 71.8% were eligible for both vaccines; 62.6% of those eligible accepted both. Reminder/recall was associated with increased receipt of the second dose of hepatitis B vaccine (86.7% versus 80.4% among intervention and control groups, respectively), but not with completion of both vaccine series (55.9% versus 58.8%). CONCLUSION: The majority of clients were eligible for both hepatitis vaccines, and most eligible clients accepted a first dose of both vaccines. Reminder/recall, as delivered at this clinic, failed to increase the proportion of clients who received all vaccine doses. New delivery mechanisms should be explored.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2003

Screening for Neisseria gonorrhoeae and Chlamydia trachomatis in men who have sex with men at male-only saunas.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: In response to increases in sexually transmissible infections (STI) and HIV infection rates among men who have sex with men (MSM), the current study aimed to investigate the feasibility of a screening program at male-only saunas in Melbourne, Australia. GOAL: The goal was to determine (1) the participation rate, and the proportion whom obtain test results; (2) the prevalence of gonorrhea and chlamydia; and (3) to evaluate risk factors for STI acquisition. STUDY DESIGN: We used a cross-sectional design. Pharyngeal, rectal, and urethral specimens were collected from participants, and tested for Chlamydia trachomatis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). RESULTS: There was a participation rate of 24% (n=521), and 70% obtained their test results. The infection rate in those who failed to collect their results was no different than those seeking theirs. The proportion of participants with PCR-detected gonorrhea and/or chlamydia infection was high, 10.7%. The presence of infection was associated with seeking sexual health care in the last year. CONCLUSION: The high prevalence rate of gonorrhea and chlamydia supports the concept of a screening program in Melbourne male-only saunas. The low participation rate has highlighted the need to consider alternative methods for making contact with men in the saunas or offering incentives to participate in future screening programs. Although anonymous participation encouraged participation for some men, future programs should attempt to obtain contact details for follow up of positive test results.

Adult↗
PubMed2004

A case-control study of syphilis among men who have sex with men in New York City: association With HIV infection.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to determine factors associated with syphilis among men who report sex with other men in New York City. DESIGN, SETTING AND STUDY SUBJECTS: We conducted a case-control study among 88 men who reported sex with men in the previous year, 18 to 55 years old and diagnosed with primary or secondary syphilis during 2001; and 176 control subjects frequently matched by age and type of health provider. RESULTS: HIV prevalence among syphilis cases was 48% compared with 15% among control subjects (P <0.001). Variables associated with syphilis in a multivariate model were HIV infection (odds ratio [OR], 7.3; 95% confidence interval [CI], 3.5-15.4), income >$30,000 per year (OR, 2.7; CI, 1.4-5.2), and barebacking (OR, 2.6; CI, 1.4-4.8). The median time since HIV diagnosis for HIV-positive was 6 years for cases and 7 years for control subjects (P = 0.70). Among HIV-infected participants, syphilis cases were more likely than control subjects to report being on antiretroviral therapy (69% vs. 44%, P = 0.05) and to report having undetectable viral load (58% vs. 24%, P = 0.02). CONCLUSION: HIV infection was strongly associated with syphilis in this study. High-risk behavior reported by both cases and control subjects indicates the potential for increased HIV transmission.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2006

Unsafe sexual behavior and correlates of risk in a probability sample of men who have sex with men in the era of highly active antiretroviral therapy.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the levels and correlates of potential exposure to and transmission of HIV in a contemporary, community-based probability sample of men who have sex with men (MSM). METHODS: In 2003, 311 sexually active MSM participated in a random-digit dial telephone survey in Seattle neighborhoods with a high prevalence of MSM. The primary outcomes were potential exposure to and transmission of HIV, defined as unprotected anal intercourse with a man of opposite or unknown HIV status in the preceding 12 months. RESULTS: Fourteen percent of respondents reported being HIV-positive, 77% reported being HIV-negative, and 8% had not been tested. Of 241 HIV-negative MSM, 25 (10%; 95% confidence interval [CI], 7-15%) were potentially exposed to HIV; among 45 HIV-positive MSM, 14 (31%; 95% CI, 20-46%) were potential HIV-transmitters. Among HIV-negative men, the strongest bivariate correlates of potential exposure to HIV were recent bacterial sexually transmitted disease (odds ratio [OR], 5.8), number of recent male sexual partners (OR, 1.01 per partner), recent sex at a bathhouse (OR, 9.1), and recent use of sildenafil (OR, 4.4), amyl nitrite (OR, 6.2), and methamphetamine (OR, 8.0). Among HIV-infected men, the strongest correlates of potential HIV transmission were recent use of amyl nitrite (OR, 3.1), number of recent male sex partners (OR, 1.07 per partner), and having a male spouse or domestic partner (OR, 0.3). CONCLUSIONS: Most MSM knew their HIV status and adopted safer sexual behaviors to reduce their risk of HIV acquisition or transmission. However, 10% of HIV-negative MSM and 31% of HIV-positive MSM recently engaged in behaviors that placed them at high risk for acquiring or transmitting HIV.

Adult↗
PubMed2006

Primary HIV infection education: knowledge and attitudes of HIV-negative men who have sex with men attending a public health sexually transmitted disease clinic.

BACKGROUND: Although many individuals who acquire HIV are symptomatic, primary HIV infection (PHI) is infrequently diagnosed, even after the integration of RNA testing into HIV screening programs. Until more individuals with PHI seek evaluation, the public health impact of RNA testing is likely to be small. OBJECTIVE: To describe knowledge of PHI and attitudes toward health care-seeking behavior for symptoms consistent with PHI in men who have sex with men (MSM). METHODS: Between April 2004 and March 2005, HIV-negative MSM attending the Public Health-Seattle and King County sexually transmitted disease (STD) clinic completed an anonymous, self-administered, written questionnaire. RESULTS: Ninety-six (64%) of 150 subjects named > or =1 symptom associated with PHI. Only 18 (39%) of 46 men who knew PHI could resemble influenza would seek care for flu-like symptoms. Fifteen (65%) of 23 men reporting a week-long febrile illness with rash in the preceding year sought health care, but only 7 (30%) were tested for HIV. CONCLUSIONS: Although most subjects identified some symptoms of PHI, relatively few would seek care for such symptoms. MSM seeking attention for febrile illnesses were infrequently tested for HIV. Increased symptom recognition, health care-seeking behavior, and routine HIV RNA testing are needed if PHI screening programs are to have meaningful impact.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1990

Immunohistochemical localization of inhibin-alpha in the testes of normal men and in men with testicular disorders.

Testicular biopsies from normal men and from men with testicular disorders were examined by immunohistochemistry for the presence of the inhibin-alpha subunit using two different antisera. Immunoreactive inhibin-alpha (irI-alpha) was found in Leydig cells in normal, oligospermic, and azoospermic men and in men with Klinefelter's syndrome, and it was also found in a Leydig cell tumour. hCG-treatment apparently increased the amount of immunoreactive inhibin-alpha, particularly in Leydig cells. Sertoli cells also contained irI-alpha but the staining intensity was considerably stronger in testes with impaired spermatogenesis or Sertoli-cell-only syndrome than in normal testes. It is suggested that the serum concentration of irI-alpha and inhibin in humans may, in a complex way, be related to both Leydig and Sertoli cell function, and that the relative contribution from these cells may change in cases of testicular malfunction.

Humans↗
PubMed1991

Increased occurrence of arrhythmias in men with ischaemic type ST-segment depression during long-term ECG recording. Prognostic impact on ischaemic heart disease: results from the prospective population study 'Men born in 1914', Malmö, Sweden.

The objective of this long-term ECG (LTER) study in 394 68-year-old men, selected at random from the general population of Malmö, Sweden, was to determine the prevalence and occurrence of cardiac arrhythmias and their impact on morbidity and mortality from IHD. According to Lown classification, 29.4% (116 men) had ventricular arrhythmia (VA) group 4-5. Serious ventricular arrhythmia (Lown group 4-5) was more common in men with asymptomatic ischaemic type ST-segment depression (STD) than in those without it (37.8% vs. 26.7%: P less than 0.05). During the mean follow-up period of 53.1 months there were seven IHD deaths (6%) among the 116 patients with VA, Lown 4-5, and nine IHD deaths (3.2%) among the 278 patients without serious VA, Lown 0-3, (P = 0.26). Six and three of these deaths, respectively, were considered to be sudden (P = 0.022). The increased cardiac event rate (fatal or non-fatal MI or deaths due to chronic IHD) associated with a serious ventricular arrhythmia disappeared when history of IHD at baseline and occurrence of STD during LTER were taken into account. The study did not provide any evidence to suggest that ventricular arrhythmia was triggered by myocardial ischaemia. Five of 9 (56%) deaths due to IHD in men with STD occurred among the 38% (37/98) of patients who belonged to Lown class 4-5. It is concluded that the prognostic information derived from LTER can be improved by combined monitoring of STD and ventricular arrhythmias.

Aged↗
PubMed2004

Acute hepatitis C in HIV-infected men who have sex with men.

BACKGROUND: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is usually transmitted via the parenteral route, but there are widely discrepant findings on its possible sexual transmission. Thus there are no recommendations concerning protected sex for couples in which only one partner is HCV-infected. Whether HIV or other sexually transmitted diseases could favour HCV transmission remains unclear, but recent data suggesting an increasing incidence of acute HCV in HIV-infected men underline the major public health implications of this issue. CASE REPORTS: Between June 2002 and July 2003, five HIV-infected homosexually active men presented with primary (n=4) and secondary (n=1) syphilis and concomitant abnormal liver function tests revealing acute asymptomatic HCV seroconversion. Other causes of acute viral hepatitis were inquired into and excluded. Highly at-risk sexual behaviour, including unprotected anal intercourse and unsafe oral sex, with concomitant syphilis, was found to be the only identifiable important risk factor for transmission of HCV. CONCLUSIONS: Sexual transmission may be fuelling a significant increase in HCV seroconversions among HIV-infected men who have highly risky sexual behaviours. Given the recent data suggesting the spread of sexually transmitted infections among HIV-infected gay men, specific recommendations concerning safe sex are urgently needed.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1988

Dyspnoea of cardiac origin in 67 year old men: (1). Relation to systolic left ventricular function and wall stress. The study of men born in 1913.

The relation between dyspnoea of presumed cardiac origin and disturbed left ventricular systolic function was studied in a group of 67 year old men from the general population of Gothenburg, Sweden. Forty two men with cardiac dyspnoea were identified and 45 controls were randomly selected from a screened cohort of 644 men. Dyspnoea was graded according to the World Health Organisation standard, and M mode echocardiography, carotid pulse tracing, an apex cardiogram, and phonocardiography were used to evaluate the grade of dyspnoea and its relation to systolic time intervals, left ventricular ejection indices, and wall stress. The dyspnoea grade was significantly related to the left ventricular end systolic dimension, to septal and posterior wall fractional thickening, and to ejection indices such as fractional shortening. The dyspnoea grade was also significantly correlated with the ratio of end systolic wall stress to end systolic volume index. There was a close relation between end systolic wall stress and mean velocity of circumferential fibre shortening adjusted for heart rate. This relation did not clearly show reduced inotropy in the dyspnoeic men. There was no relation between the degree of dyspnoea and the systolic time intervals. Among the systolic variables obtained by echocardiography the only abnormal finding in mild to moderate dyspnoea was an increased end systolic dimension. The grade of cardiac dyspnoea seemed to be related to the degree of systolic left ventricular dysfunction, which was considerably impaired in severe dyspnoea. In population studies left ventricular end systolic dimension and fractional shortening may provide sufficient information on systolic function without the need to assess variables that are independent of load.

Aged↗
PubMed2003

Joint effects of social class and community occupational structure on coronary mortality among black men and white men, upstate New York, 1988-92.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: Occupational structure represents the unequal geographical distribution of more desirable jobs among communities (for example, white collar jobs). This study examines joint effects of social class, race, and county occupational structure on coronary mortality rates for men, ages 35-64 years, 1988-92, in upstate New York. DESIGN: Upstate New York's 57 counties were classified into three occupational structure categories; counties with the lowest percentages of the labour force in managerial, professional, and technical occupations were classified in category I, counties with the highest percentages were in category III. Age adjusted coronary heart disease (CHD) mortality rates, 35-64 years, (from vital statistics and census data) were calculated for each occupational structure category. MAIN RESULTS: An inverse association between CHD mortality and occupational structure was observed among blue collar and white collar workers, among black men and white men, with the lowest CHD mortality observed among white collar, white men in category III (135/100,00). About two times higher mortality was observed among blue collar than white collar workers. Among blue collar workers, mortality was 1.3-1.8 times higher among black compared with white workers, and the highest rates were observed among black, blue collar workers (689/100,00). Also, high residential race segregation was shown in all areas. CONCLUSIONS: Results suggest the importance of community conditions in coronary health of local populations; however, differential impact on subpopulations was shown. Blue collar and black workers may especially lack economic and other resources to use available community services and/or may experience worse working and living conditions compared with white collar and white workers in the same communities.

Adult↗
PubMed2004

HIV related behaviours and attitudes among Chinese men who have sex with men in Hong Kong: a population based study.

OBJECTIVE: This study was conducted in order to determine the prevalence of men having sex with men (MSM) and their HIV related behaviours and attitudes among Chinese men in Hong Kong. METHODS: A large scale, random, population based, anonymous telephone survey of 14 963 men between the ages of 18-60 was conducted. The overall response rate was approximately 57%. RESULTS: Of the respondents, 4.6% had ever engaged in MSM activity. In the 6 months preceding the survey, 2.0% had engaged in MSM behaviours (active MSM) and 0.5% reported having engaged in anal sex MSM behaviours. Among anal sex MSM, consistent condom use was 42.9% with male non-commercial sex partners and even lower with male commercial sex partners (35.7%). Approximately 11% of anal sex MSM and 4.1% of the non-anal sex MSM had contracted an STD in the last 6 months. The prevalence of HIV testing was only 20.6% among anal sex MSM and 11.9% among non-anal sex MSM. CONCLUSIONS: Active MSM in Hong Kong are at high risk of HIV infection. The belief of low vulnerability to HIV is prevalent among active MSM in Hong Kong with only 2.0% believing that their chances of HIV infection as being "very likely."

Adolescent↗