Rising prevalence of HIV infection and associated risk factors among young Thai Men in 2018

Abstract

The prevalence of HIV among young Thai men stabilized at 0.5% from 2005 to 2011. A cross-sectional study was conducted among the male army conscripts in 2018 at 36 military training units nationwide. All new conscripts in each selected unit were invited to participate in the study. Questionnaires were used to determine risk factors to HIV infection that had been developed from related risk factors studies among young Thai men. Among 4629 participants, 44 (1.0%) HIV positive individuals were identified. The proportion subject reporting a history of sex with another man was 10.1%. The prevalence of HIV infection among men who have sex with men (MSM) was 4.0%. The proportion of consistent condom use with a male partner was 39.7%. The risk factors of HIV infection included having sex with another man, history of sexually transmitted infection and history of sex in exchange for gifts/money. Only 1.4% of MSM used pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP). HIV prevention programs including PrEP in Thailand should be emphasized among MSM in both rural and urban settings.

Incidence and risk factors of gonococcal urethritis reinfection among Thai male patients in a multicenter, retrospective cohort study

“…Furthermore, one related study in the New Zealand health care setting demonstrated that patients aged less than 20 years were more likely to have a potential risk for Neisseria gonorrhoeae reinfection 17 . This finding may be explained by younger sexually active males using condoms inconsistently 18 , leading to STIs including GU, nonGU and HIV 12 , 19 , 20 . Regarding one related report among young Thai men from 2008 to 2009 12 , male patients having multiple sexual partners indicated a risk behavior for STIs and tended to be a risk for GU reinfection.…”

“…The incidence rate of GU reinfection among participants was significantly high in the north (2.6 per 100 person-years) and northeast (1.2 per 100 person-years). These regions also experienced the highest epidemic of HIV/AIDS and other STIs such as Chlamydia trachomatis and Hepatitis C 7 , 20 . Likewise, related studies in Thailand demonstrated a high prevalence of STIs among young Thai men residing in north 12 and northeast regions 20 .…”

“…These regions also experienced the highest epidemic of HIV/AIDS and other STIs such as Chlamydia trachomatis and Hepatitis C 7 , 20 . Likewise, related studies in Thailand demonstrated a high prevalence of STIs among young Thai men residing in north 12 and northeast regions 20 . One of the explanations for this finding is that GU reinfection may be a proxy indicator for other STIs in these regions.…”

Risk of HIV/STIs among Muslim army conscripts in the three deep southern provinces of Thailand

“…Studies have been conducted on the sexual behavior of Thai army conscripts. 5 , 6 , 8 , 16 , 17 However, to the best of our knowledge, there have been no previous studies on the sexual behavior of Muslim Thai army conscripts in the three southernmost provinces of Thailand. Nevertheless, there are cultural aspects on sexual behavior among Muslim.…”

Increased Work Experience Associated with Less Stigmatizing Attitudes towards People Living with HIV among Thai Healthcare Personnel

“…Thailand has been admired by the international community for its achievements in tackling HIV/AIDS [25]. However, recent studies revealed that there are ongoing localized HIV epidemics in some key populations, especially men who have sex with men and transgender women [26][27][28][29]. In 2019, only 80% of people diagnosed with HIV received ART, below the national target of 90% [30].…”