Prevalence and correlates of HIV infection among men who have sex with men: a multi-provincial cross-sectional study in the southwest of China

OBJECTIVE: This study aims to assess the prevalence and correlates of HIV Infection among men who have sex with men (MSM) in two major provinces in southwest of China. METHOD: We adopted the method of anonymous survey and HIV blood test on 1,245 MSM >18 years of age from Chongqing and Sichuan Province, China. RESULTS: The prevalence of HIV infection among MSM was 21.20%. Multiple logistic regression analysis revealed significant independent predictors of HIV infection among MSM as follows: lower level of education, preference to be receptive, lower frequency of condom use, drug usage, higher number of sexual partners in the past 1 month, and people suffering from sexually transmitted diseases. The distribution of HIV infection probability scores among HIV-negative MSM shows a positively skewed distribution, which will help to find persons at higher risk of HIV infection. CONCLUSION: HIV prevalence in Chongqing and Sichuan Province is extremely high. We must find a way to identify people at high risk of HIV infection and employ different interventions among different risk levels of HIV infection in order to achieve maximum prevention and treatment benefit. Considering the relative shortage of resources, efforts to prevent HIV might be more effectively employed if they stratify men based on validated risk criteria.