Syphilis infection and its high risk factors among men who have sex with men by different recruitment channels / 中华预防医学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To understand the syphilis infection and its high risk factors among men who have sex with men (MSM) recruited from different channels.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Supported by the China-Gates Foundation HIV program from July to December 2011, we cooperated with community based organizations to conduct syphilis testing intervention among MSM from 14 cities (Beijing, Shanghai, Tianjin, Chongqing, Harbin, Shenyang, Qingdao, Xi'an, Nanjing, Wuhan, Hangzhou, Changsha, Kunming, and Guangzhou) and one province (Hainan province). Participants were recruited from different channels by the staff of local CBOs, Demographic (e.g. age, marital status, and education) and behavioral (e.g. condom use and sexual partners) data were collected using anonymous questionnaires. Blood samples were also collected to test for syphilis. A total of 34 100 MSM participated in the survey. Participants were excluded from data analysis (1 399, 4.1%) if they did not receive syphilis tests or they completed less than 80.00% of the key questions in the survey. Chi-square tests were used to understand the socio-demographic and behavioral differences between each group. Results of syphilis tests were also compared. Logistic regression models were used to test the statistical significance of these differences.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>A total of 32 701 MSM were enrolled and received syphilis testing. The average age of participates was 30.96 ± 9.57. And among them, 2 284 cases (7.0%) were recruited from gay bathhouses, 4 774 (14.6%) from gay bars, 6 266 (19.2%) from the internet, 1 997 (6.1%) from the parks/toilets and 17 380 (53.1%) from other channels. MSM recruited from the bathhouses had the highest syphilis infection rate than other 4 groups: gaybars (4.5%, 216/4 774), internet (6.7%, 422/6 266), parks/toilets (8.3%, 166/1 997), other channels (6.4%, 1 103/17 380) (χ² = 164.58, P < 0.001). The multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that being > 20 years of age (P < 0.001), having more than 2 homosexual partners in recent 3 months (8.0% (1 408/17 714), OR (95% CI) = 1.44 (1.04-1.98)), having no sex with females in past 3 months (6.8% (1 446/21 276), OR (95% CI) = 1.25 (1.07-1.46)), and not using condom at last anal sex (8.0% (769/9 668), OR (95% CI) = 1.13 (1.03-1.25)) were associated with a higher probability of being infected with syphilis. Whereas MSM married (7.2% (456/6 305), OR (95% CI) = 0.84 (0.73-0.98)), having a college or a higher education (5.3% (829/15 684), OR (95% CI) = 0.60 (0.53-0.67)), being local residents (6.5% (1 843/28 185), OR (95% CI) = 0.73 (0.61-0.87)) and living in the local province of project cities (6.6% (170/2 593), OR (95% CI) = 0.67 (0.53-0.85)) were protective factors.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>MSM who were recruited from gay bathhouses have a higher rate of syphilis infection than those in channels relatively. They are older, with low education levels and high-risk sexual behaviors. Tailored interventions are required in the future, especially for MSM from gay bathhouses.</p>

The survival and development conditions of community-based organizations for HIV/AIDS prevention and control among men who have sex with men in three Chinese cities / 中华预防医学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the survival and development conditions of community-based organizations (CBOs) for HIV/AIDS prevention and control among men who have sex with men (MSM) in Chinese cities including Shanghai, Hangzhou, Chongqing.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>This study employed both qualitative (focus groups) and quantitative (questionnaire survey) methods to obtain information from 15 MSM CBOs in three Chinese cities.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The mean work time of the 15 CBOs for HIV/AIDS prevention and control among MSM was 6.7 years (2.1-11.3 years), and the majority of their funds was from international cooperation projects (80 447 000 RMB, 73.0%) from 2006 to 2013. The survival cost of MSM CBOs apart from expenditure of activities was 2 240-435 360 RMB per year. As it was shown in the graph, the survival and development of MSM CBOs was closely related to the development of international cooperation projects. There was a few small size MSM CBOs taking part in the prevention and control of HIV/AIDS and their work content was limited before 2006. From 2006 to 2008, some international cooperation projects were launched in China, such as the China Global Fund AIDS project and the China-Gates Foundation HIV Prevention Cooperation program. As a result, the number of MSM CBOs was increased sharply, and both the scale and 2012, the performance of these programs further promote the establishment of new MSM CBOs and the development of all MSM CBOs with regard to the work places, full-time staffs, work contents, work patterns and the specific targeted population. After 2012, most international cooperation programs were completed and the local department of disease prevention and control continued to cooperate with MSM CBOs. However, the degree of support funds from the local department was different among different regions. Where the funds were below the half of program funds, the development of MSM CBOs ceased and work slowed down. Besides, there were still some constraints for the survival and development of MSM CBOs, such as insufficient funds, no legitimate identity, the outflow of talents and the unsustainable development.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The survival and development of MSM CBOs was closely related to the development of international cooperation projects in China. Some departments of disease prevention and control took over the cooperation with MSM CBOs when the international cooperation projects were completed. Given the survival cost of MSM CBOs and the constraints of MSM CBOs development, it needs further investigation on how to ensure the local departments of disease prevention and control to take over the cooperation with MSM CBOs and how to cooperate with MSM CBOs.</p>

The feasibility of Community Health Service Center-based HIV prevention and intervention in China / 中华预防医学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To explore and analyze the feasibility of Community Health Service Center(CHSC)-based HIV prevention and intervention in China.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Data on case finding and case management indexes were collected from 42 CHSCs in 8 cities from November, 2011 to December, 2012, and complemented by questionnaires to investigate the willingness to accept community-based HIV services among health care providers and the service targets.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>During November, 2011 and December, 2012, 6 729 person-times HIV tests were carried out among MSM in the cooperation between CHSCs and CBOs, and 235 HIV positives were found. A total of 40 CHSCs among 42 have conducted HIV rapid tests. The sample sources were broad and the HIV screening positive detection rate from high-risk populations in key divisions of CHSCs 0.66% (38/5 769) was higher than that in outreach high-risk populations 0.41% (15/3 623) and people receiving physical check 0.31% (20/6 532). HIV positive detection rate in CHSCs was higher 0.4% (96/23 609) than that in conventional medical institutions 0.1% (11 870/9 644 944) and newly found positives among the confirmed positives was a little lower 73.7% (56/76) than conventional programs 80.1% (8 038/10 039). The case follow-up and CD4(+) T cell testing rates in CHSCs were 100.0% (1 046/1 046) and 99.1% (1 037/1 046), respectively. The testing cost was 6.1 RMB per person on average, and the cost of 1 case found positive was 2 727.3 RMB on average. Among 361 service providers, 68.1% (246)and 91.4% (330) service providers were willing to be involved in AIDS response and support HIV service in local CHSCs. Among 755 service targets including people who seek health care in key divisions of CHSCs, MSM, and high-risk populations in local communities, 77.3% (348), 73.9% (173) and 78.1% (57) were willing to accept free HIV tests in local CHSCs.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The effect of case finding and case management in CHSCs was good and the cost of conducting HIV tests and finding new cases were relatively low, meanwhile, most of the service provides in CHSCs and service targets support HIV service in local CHSCs. The future CHSC-based HIV prevention and intervention was feasible.</p>

Social network analysis and high risk behavior characteristics of recreational drug users: a qualitative study / 中华预防医学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To understand the characteristics of recreational drug users' behaviors and social network, as well as their potential impact to the transmission of sexual transmitted infections (STI).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Qualitative interview was used to collect information on rough estimation of population size and behavior change before and after recreational drug use. A total of 120 participants were recruited by convenient sampling from April to October, 2013 in a community of Qingdao city. Blood specimens were taken for HIV/syphilis serological testing and social network analysis was performed to understand the characteristics of their behavior and social network.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>All participants used methamphetamine and 103 of them showed social connection. The prevalence of syphilis and HIV were 24.2% (29/120) and 2.5% (3/120) respectively. The estimated size of recreational drug users was big with a wide diversity of occupations and age range, and males were more frequent than females. Drug use may affect condom use and frequent drug users showed symptom of psychosis and neuro-toxicities. The size of social network was 2.45 ± 1.63 in the past 6 months, which indicated an increasing trend of the sexual partner number and risky behaviors.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Recreational drug use could increase the size of social network among sex partners, the frequency of risky sexual behaviors and syphilis prevalence, which indicate a high risk of HIV/STI among this population as well as a huge burden of disease prevention and control in the future.</p>