STD Prevalence, Risky Sexual Behaviors, and Sex With Women in a National Sample of Chinese Men Who Have Sex With Men

We describe the behavioral characteristics and sexually transmitted disease (STD) prevalence of Chinese men who have sex with men (MSM) (n = 41) from a national probability sample of men (n = 1861). Most MSM were partnered with females (97%) and had a low rate of consistent condom use (7%). More MSM than heterosexual men self-reported a prior STD and risky sexual behaviors. MSM may act as a bridge for HIV transmission to female partners. Targeted interventions may help prevent a generalized HIV epidemic in China.In some parts of China, HIV prevalence has exceeded 1% of the general population.^1,2 Men who have sex with men (MSM) accounted for 7.3% of HIV infections³ and 11% of new HIV infections in 2007.⁴ The proportion of HIV infections among MSM is likely to grow, as studies have documented increasing HIV prevalence and high prevalence of risky sexual behaviors and of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) among this population.^5–12MSM may serve as a bridge population for transmitting HIV to the general population. Empirical data have shown that a large proportion of Chinese MSM are either married or have female sex partners.^5,13 High-risk sexual behaviors with both male and female partners among MSM are also common. Surveys have documented extremely high rates of inconsistent condom use with female partners.^13–15 We report the sociodemographic and sexual behavioral characteristics and the STD prevalence of a national probability sample of Chinese heterosexual men and men who had homosexual experiences.