High risk sexual behavior and HIV/STD infection rate among 122 MSM from students

Abstract

Objective To investigate high risk sexual behavior and HIV/STDs infection rate among MSM from a student subgroup.Method One hundred and twenty-two eligible MSM were interviewed by using Respondent Driven Sampling(RDS)and informative key person's referral and school internet advertising in Hefei.All the subjects but one had received HIV and syphilis infection tests.Variables included social demographic characteristics,HIV/AIDS related knowledge and ways of acquiring it,awareness of HIV/STIs infection,number of sexual partners,sexual behavior,venues of social activities,history of venereal diseases and HIV tests.Result Of the 122 participants,79.5% were university undergraduate or graduate students,and 20.5% were high school students.Of the 121 receiving HIV test,1.7% were HIV-seropositive and 7.4% were infected with syphilis.Of the subjects surveyed.82% had anal sex during the last 6 months,24.6% had two and more regular anal sexual partners,39.3% had casual anal sexual partners.Mean age of the sexual partners seemed to be elder than the MSM themselves(P0.001).Of the 122 participants 63.1% had unprotected anal sex during the last 6months.The rate of condom use when having anal sex with regular partners was lower than when having anal sex with casual partners(P0.05).Majority of the surveyed subjects lacked HIV/AIDS related knowledge,and they acquired such knowledge mainly via internet,newspapers and television.Conclusion Health education for HIV/STD should be emphasized among school students,and safe sex,condom use and single sexual partner should be advocated.