Development and implementation of a collaborative, multistakeholder research and practice model on HIV prevention targeting Asian/Pacific Islander men in the United States who have sex with men.

We describe lessons learned from a national HIV prevention research program grounded in community-based participatory research, the Men of Asia Testing for HIV (MATH) Study, which targeted self-identified Asian/Pacific Islander men in the United States who have sex with men. We discuss the genesis of and impetus for the study and then describe its various facets, including accomplishments, challenges, and unanticipated consequences. We conclude with a discussion about the real-world practice of community-based participatory research with respect to the MATH Study in particular and similar research in general.

STIs and HIV among men having sex with men in China: a ticking time bomb?

Over the past 10 years, HIV infection rate has increased annually from 30% to 40% in China, resulting in over 700,000 Chinese living with HIV/AIDS by the end of 2007. The Chinese National Medium and Long-Term Strategic Plan for HIV/AIDS Control and Prevention (1998-2010) identifies the men who have sex with men (MSM) population as a high-risk group for HIV infection. The latest statistics show that MSM account for 11.1% of all HIV/AIDS cases in China, an alarming rising rate in a country with one fourth of the world's population. To help expanding the emerging foundation of scientific and empirical data on Chinese MSM, several multidivisional research initiatives have been initiated. For example, the China National Center for AIDS/STD Prevention and Control recently launched a national study targeting above 26,000 MSM in 61 cities in 2008. Other programs, targeted prevention measures for the estimated 5-10 million-Chinese MSM, including stronger promotion of condom use, expanded coverage and quality of HIV prevention activities, increased access to voluntary HIV counseling-and-testing services, and improved access to treatment for sexually transmitted infections. To complement these initiatives, this article aims to provide a comprehensive review and analysis of the (a) scientific and empirical literature (both in English and Chinese) on HIV/sexually tranmitted infection (STI) prevention targeting Chinese MSM, and (b) existing programmatic and policy efforts targeting Chinese MSM at risk for STIs (including HIV). Finally, four recommendations for future endeavors targeting this high-risk group are drawn from the above analyses.