ABSTRACT
Objective To examine tIle prevalence and predictors of HIV and syphilis infections among men who have sex with men(MSM)in Chongqing municipality.China.Methods Cross-sectional studies were conduced in three districts of Chongqing municipality from July to September,2006 and 2007,respectively.Questionnaire-based interviews were conducted to provide information on demographic characteristics,behaviors on sex and drug use,and HIV and sexually transmitted diseases(STD)related health services.Blood samples were tested for HIV and syphilis infections.Results Of 1773 panicipants.10.6%were HIV-positive and 8.4%were sero-positive for syphilis infection.Factors independently associated with HIV infection included older age(26-35 year:AOR=1.7,95%CI:1.1-2.6;＞35 years of age:AOR=2.3,95%CI:1.4-3.8),low level of education(AOR=2.3,95%CI:1.5-3.5),having had multiple male sex partners(AOR=1.8,95%CI:1.2-2.8),venues of recruitment from bathhouses/sauna (AOR=2.3,95%CI:1.1-4.7),with self-reported STD symptoms in the past 12 months(AOR=1.8,95%CI.1.2-2.7)and syphilis infeetion(AOR=1.7,95%CI:1.1-2.9).Conclusion The prevalence rates on both HIV and syphilis infections were considered to be high among MSM in Chongqing city.Unprotected anal sex and multiple sex partners were conqmon in this group.Education,condom promotion.combination of HIV and STD screening,and treatment to the diseases are essential to this population in Chongqing.However,MSM had not hitherto been perceived to be in the epidemic mainstream in this area.
ABSTRACT
Objective To study the feasibility of using dried blood spot (DBS) specimens in BED-CEIA assay and to estimate the HIV-1 incidence with DBS in China. Methods 10 313 participants from 27 voluntary counseling and testing(VCT) sites were enrolled in this study. Both plasma and DBS specimens were collected. 349 eligible pairs of HIV-1 positive specimens confirmed by Western Blot were available for BED-CEIA and the results compared. Negative control, low positive control, high positive control and calibrator in DBS were used to evaluate the stability and repeatability of the detection results of DBS specimens. Results Of the total HIV positives, 294 and 53 participants were tested as long-term or recent HIV infections by both DBS and plasma specimens. Two participants showed different results from DBS and plasma specimens, but their final An values were close to the cutoff value of BED-CEIA assay. The concordance rate between the two types of specimens was 99.43% and the R2 linear of the stability and repeatability results of DBS specimens reached 0.9551 and 0.95, respectively. Conclusion Although some individual specimens showed different results, the incidence rates calculated from both types of specimen were equivalent. DBS specimens were suitable for estimating the HIV incidence and could be popularized in China. However, further studies regarding window period and adjustment coefficients of BED-CEIA assay are needed.
ABSTRACT
Objective To examine the prevalence and correlates for needle-sharing among new and long-term injection drug users (IDUs) in Sichuan province, China. Methods Three consecutive cross-sectional surveys were conducted in 6 prefectures of Sichuan province, from 2003 to 2005.Questionnaire-based interviews provided information including socio-demographics, drug-use, sexual behaviors, and HIV-related services. Multivariable logistic regression methodology was used for data analysis. Results Of 3852 eligible participants, the rates of needle-sharing in the last 6 months for IDUs with a less than one year, one to three year, and more than three year injection history were 19.9%,29.1%, and 36.3%, respectively. Needle-sharing for IDUs with a less than one-year injection history was independently associated with factors as: being female, having minority background, higher frequency of injection, sharing injecting equipments, ever having had a non-regular sex partner, or a regular sex partner who injected drugs, never had a test on HIV, being recruited in 2005, and from Zigong prefectm'es of Sichuan. Needle-sharing for IDUs with a 1-3 year injection history were independently associated with receiving less education, having higher frequency of injecting behavior, sharing injecting equipments,ever having had a non-regular sex partner/a regular sex partner who injected drugs, ever having had unprotected sex with a non-regular sex partner, ever having had unprotected sex with a commercial sex partner or client, never attended skill training for HIV/STD prevention, being recruited in 2005 and 2004,and being recruited from Deyang, Zigong, and Liangshan prefectures. Needle-sharing for IDUs with a more than three-year injection history was independently associated with factors as: less education, higher frequency of injecting, sharing injecting equipment, ever had a non-regular sex partner, ever had unprotected sex with a non-regular sex partner, ever had unprotected sex with a commercial sex partner or client, having had regular sex partners who inject drugs, never attended needle exchange programs, being recruited in 2005 and 2004, and being recruited from Deyang, Zigong, and Liangshan prefectures. Conclusion The rates for both needle/paraphernalia sharing and unprotected sex behaviors were high in the IDUs in Sichuan province. These rates were higher among longer-term IDUs than in new IDUs. Our data underlined that better targeted, in-depth and sustained comprehensive intervention packages which including needle exchange, condom promotion along with distribution, and education, were urgently needed to reduce both IDU-related and sex-related risk behaviors among both new and longer term IDUs.
ABSTRACT
smission between HIV high risk group and general population. More attention need to be spocificalIy paid to prevent HIV transmit from HIV high risk group to general population.