Prevalence of HIV infection and HIV-related sex risk behaviors in men who have sex with men in Shandong Province, China.

Recently, men who have sex with men (MSM) have become a population at high risk ofHIV infection in China, and more investigations of and intervention programs targeting this hidden population are urgently needed. The objective of this study was to assess the prevalence of HIV-positive individuals, HIV-related knowledge, and sex risk behaviors in MSM in large and middle-sized cities. Subjects were 1,617 interviewees who were selected by snowball sampling in 8 cities of Shandong Province and who were interviewed using a structured questionnaire. Their serological specimens were tested in a laboratory to confirm infection with HIV. Results indicated a prevalence of HIV infection of 1.3%, which is low when compared to that in metropolitan areas worldwide, although the prevalence of unsafe sexual behaviors was relevantly high and there was a lack of accessibility to HIV/STD testing and peer education. This study revealed the urgent need to make intervention programs universal, effective, and much more accessible to MSM in typical large and middle-sized cities in China.