Barriers to HIV testing and HIV care and treatment pose significant challenges to HIV prevention among men who have sex with men (MSM) in China. We carried out a qualitative study to identify barriers and facilitators to HIV testing and treatment among Chinese MSM. In 2012, 7 focus group discussions were conducted with 49 MSM participants in Nanjing, China. Purposive sampling was used to recruit a diverse group of MSM participants. Semi-structured interviews were conducted to collect FG data. Major barriers to testing included gay- and HIV-related stigma and discrimination, relationship type and partner characteristics, low perception of risk or threat, HIV is incurable or equals death, concerns of confidentiality, unaware that testing is offered for free, and name-based testing. Key facilitators of testing included engaging in high-risk sex, sense of responsibility for partner, collectivism, testing as a part of standard/routine medical care, MSM-friendly medical personnel, increased acceptance of gay/bisexual men by the general public, legal recognition and protection of homosexuals, and home self-testing. Barriers to treatment included negative coping, non-disclosure to families, misconceptions of domestically produced antiretroviral drugs and the benefits of treatment, and costs associated with long-term treatment. Facilitators of treatment included sense of hopefulness that a cure would be found, the cultural value of longevity, peer social support and professional psychological counseling, affordable and specialized treatment and care, and reduced HIV-related stigma and discrimination. Finally, for both testing and treatment, more educational and promotional activities within MSM communities and among the general public are needed.

The incidence of HIV among MSM is very high; many new infections would hence occur in China. Effective interventions are warranted. The risk factors reported in this study give some insights for designing relevant prevention programs.

The randomized controlled trial investigated the relative efficacy of an enhanced (EVCT) versus standard (SVCT) voluntary counseling and testing in reducing unprotected anal intercourse (UAI) among men who have sex with men (MSM) in China. 295 participants who recruited by respondent driven sampling methods were randomly allocated to the two arms. In addition to the SVCT, the EVCT group watched a theory-based video narrated by a HIV positive MSM, received enhanced counseling and a reminder gift. As compared to the SVCT group, the EVCT group reported lower prevalence of UAI with any male sex partners (48.4% versus 66.7%, RR = 0.7, ARR = -18.3%, p = 0.010) and with regular male sex partners (52.2% versus 68.9%, RR = 0.8, ARR = -16.7%, p = 0.043) at Month 6, whilst baseline between-group differences were statistically non-significant. Between-group differences in HIV/syphilis incidence were statistically non-significant. Translational research should be conducted to integrate non-intensive enhancements such as the EVCT into regular testing services.

The rapidly increasing prevalence and complex subtypes of HIV-1 suggest that effective prevention and intervention strategies are urgently needed for MSM in Jiangsu.

Substantial numbers of Chinese men who have sex with men (MSM) do not access facility-based HIV testing. Self-testing could promote testing uptake among this population. We describe experiences and identify correlates of self-testing among Chinese MSM. A cross-sectional survey was conducted among MSM in Jiangsu from November 2013 to January 2014. Participants were recruited through time-location sampling and from online. Participants were asked a series of questions about HIV self-testing uptake and associated experiences. Logistic regression was used to identify correlates of having ever self-tested for HIV. Of 522 participants, 26.2% had ever self-tested. Finger stick was the most common self-testing modality (86.1%). A majority of participants reported that it was “very easy” (43.1%) or “somewhat easy” (34.3%) to perform self-testing while lower proportions reported “very confident” (24.1%) or “somewhat confident” (36.5%) in the accuracy of their test results. Having ever self-tested was significantly associated with having had 2 to 5 and 6 or more male anal sex partners in the past six months (AOR = 2.12, 95% CI: 1.00, 4.49; AOR = 4.95, 95% CI: 1.90, 12.87), having ever tested for HIV (AOR = 4.56, 95% CI: 1.66, 12.55), and having a friend or friends who self-tested (AOR = 7.32, 95% CI: 3.57, 15.00). HIV self-testing can reach untested Chinese MSM and / or increase testing frequency. Peer- or social network-based interventions could help further encourage self-testing. Monitoring systems should be strengthened to ensure the quality of self-testing kits and provision of essential support services, including post-test counseling and linkage-to-care.

BackgroundSyphilis has made a dramatic resurgence in China during the past two decades and become the third most prevalent notifiable infectious disease in China. Female sex workers (FSWs) have become one of key populations for the epidemic. In order to investigate syphilis infection among different tiers of FSWs, a cross-sectional study was conducted in 8 sites in China.MethodsSerum specimens (n = 7,118) were collected to test for syphilis and questionnaire interviews were conducted to obtain socio-demographic and behavioral information among FSWs recruited from different types of venues. FSWs were categorized into three tiers (high-, middle- and low-tier FSWs) based on the venues where they solicited clients. Serum specimens were screened with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for treponemal antibody followed by confirmation with non-treponemal toluidine red unheated serum test (TRUST) for positive ELISA specimens to determine syphilis infection. A logistic regression model was used to determine factors associated with syphilis infection.ResultsOverall syphilis prevalence was 5.0% (95%CI, 4.5-5.5%). Low-tier FSWs had the highest prevalence (9.7%; 95%CI, 8.3-11.1%), followed by middle-tier (4.3%; 95%CI, 3.6-5.0%, P < 0.001) and high-tier FSWs (2.2%; 95%CI, 1.6-2.9%, P < 0.001). Factors independently associated with syphilis infection included older age, lower education level, geographic location, lower tier of typology, and injection drug use.ConclusionsThis multi-site survey showed a high prevalence of syphilis infection among FSWs and substantial disparities in syphilis prevalence by the tier of FSWs. The difference in syphilis prevalence is substantial between different tiers of FSWs, with the highest rate among low-tier FSWs. Thus, current surveillance and intervention activities, which have low coverage in low-tier FSWs in China, should be further examined.

Unprotected anal intercourse (UAI) is a well-documented risk factor for acquiring HIV, but not well-studied in China. We studied demographic and behavioral correlates for UAI among men who have sex with men (MSM) in a respondent-driven-sampling (RDS) survey in Nanjing, China. Four hundred and thirty MSM (including ten seeds) participated in this study, rendering an adjusted rate of UAI as 62.3 % (95 % CI 56.4-68.4 %). Adjusted HIV and syphilis prevalence rates were 6.6 % (95 % CI 3.0-10.4) and 12.6 % (95 % CI 8.1-18.3), respectively. HIV- and syphilis-positive cases were more likely to have engaged in UAI. Being unwilling to use condoms, meeting partners in non-conventional venues, having multiple male sex-partners in the past 6 months, having sex with regular and casual male partners in the past 6 months, and consumption of alcohol before sex were all positively associated with UAI. Based on the observed high prevalence of UAI among MSM in Nanjing, we can conclude that implementation of strategies to motivate MSM with high-risk behaviors to use condoms is urgently required in Nanjing.

Research conducted among men who have sex with men (MSM) in high-income countries has demonstrated that negative mental health is one of the significant drivers of HIV infection, and few studies have examined the status of mental health among MSM in China. We sought to describe depression and loneliness and identify their correlates among Chinese MSM. A cross-sectional study was conducted among HIV-negative or unknown status MSM in 2014. Time-location sampling and online convenience sampling methods were employed. Depression was measured via a short version of CES-D (CES-D 10). Loneliness was measured from a single item in CES-D 10. Multivariable logistic regressions were conducted to identify independent correlates of depression and loneliness. A total of 507 individuals participated in the study. Of them, 26.8 and 35.5% reported moderate-to-severe symptoms of depression and feeling lonely, respectively. Depressed participants were more likely to have a sense of hopelessness for the future (AOR 3.20, 95% CI 1.90, 5.20) and report higher levels of internalized homophobia (AOR 2.32, 95% CI 1.47, 3.67). Participants who reported feeling lonely were more likely to have had condomless receptive anal intercourse in the past 6 months (AOR 1.67, 95% CI 1.08, 2.58) and feel hopeless for the future (AOR 2.40, 95% CI 1.60, 3.70). MSM in China have significant rates of depression and loneliness. HIV prevention efforts should address the mental health needs of Chinese MSM such as providing safe environments for social support and role models.