Syphilis & MSM (men who have sex with men)

In the United States, health officials reported over 36,000 cases of syphilis in 2006, including 9,756 cases of primary and secondary (P&S) syphilis. In 2006, half of all P&S syphilis cases were reported from 20 counties and 2 cities; and most P&S syphilis cases occurred in persons 20 to 39 years of age. The incidence of P&S syphilis was highest in women 20 to 24 years of age and in men 35 to 39 years of age. Reported cases of congenital syphilis in newborns increased from 2005 to 2006, with 339 new cases reported in 2005 compared to 349 cases in 2006.Between 2005 and 2006, the number of reported P&S syphilis cases increased 11.8 percent. P&S rates have increased in males each year between 2000 and 2006 and among females between 2004 and 2006. In 2006, 64% of the reported P&S syphilis cases were among men who have sex with men (MSM).CS115145syphilis-msm-fact-sheet-press.pd

Methamphetamine Use among HIV-Positive Men Who Have Sex with Men (MSM)

The highly addictive drug methamphetamine has been associated with impairments in social and neurological functioning. With assistance from previous studies on methamphetamine use and HIV, the theory that the risk of HIV is increased with the use of methamphetamine will be supported. The purpose of this paper is to educate and illustrate the dangerous effects of methamphetamine use among individuals with HIV. The paper will conclude with an examination of possible HIV treatment and prevention options to better assist individuals who use methamphetamine

Sexually transmitted infections (STI) in men who have sex with men (MSM)

The impact of increasingly efficient antiretroviral therapy (ART) on survival and general well-being has contributed to a "business as usual" attitude to sex among men who have sex with men (MSM). There has been a recent marked increase of sexually transmitted infections (STI) including syphilis, LGV and Hepatits C among MSM. STIs located in the oral cavity or rectum are asymptomatic in over 80% and 50%, respectively and these sites must be seen as important reservoirs. On the other hand severe proctitis may be mistreated as inflammatory bowel disease without adequate medical history and testing. Due to the reappearance of syphilis, all genital ulcers, non-itching exanthema and severe disease symptoms (e.g. fever, fatigue, lymphadenopathy, hepato-splenomegaly, increased liver enzymes, neurological and ophthalmologic symptoms without other explanations) should lead to testing for syphilis. There is a marked association between STIs and HIV. Syphilis, LGV and Hepatits C are strongly overrepresented in HIV positive MSM, while gonorrhoea, LGV and syphilis increase the HIV susceptibility. Syphilis leads to increased viral load in HIV positive. The major risk factors for Hepatitis B are number of sex partners and receptive anal intercourse. High grade Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) anal lesions can progress to cancer. There is a 30 fold increase risk for anal cancer among MSM, a risk that is doubled in HIV infection, making anal cancer one of the most common non-AIDS tumors. All MSM should be offered Hepatitis A and B vaccination and the inclusion of boys in HPV vaccination programs must be considered. The aim of this article is to describe asymptomatic and symptomatic bacterial and viral STIs of the oral cavity, penis/urethra and rectum and the sexually transmittable viral Hepatitis and HIV in MSM and to inspire the medical establishment to adhere to testing guidelines in this group. This article is built on a review of published findings, the presentation of own data on Gonorrhoea and chlamydia and our own experience in treating all STIs including HIV in MSM since 1982 at a Gay Men's Health Clinic (Venhälsan) at Stockholm South General Hospital, Sweden

Men who have sex with men: a comparison of a probability sample survey and a community based study

We compared characteristics of men who have sex with men (MSM) in a probability sample survey with a community based study in London. The majority of men in both surveys reported male sex partner(s) in the last year but MSM recruited through the population based survey had lower levels of HIV risk behaviour, reported fewer sexually transmitted infections and HIV testing than those recruited from gay venues. Community samples are likely to overestimate levels of risk behaviour among all MSM

Intimate Partner Violence and Correlates With Risk Behaviors and HIV/STI Diagnoses Among Men Who Have Sex With Men and Men Who Have Sex With Men and Women in China: A Hidden Epidemic

BACKGROUND: Intimate partner violence (IPV) research has primarily focused on heterosexual couples but has largely ignored IPV among men who have sex with men (MSM). We examined IPV prevalence among MSM and men who have sex with men and women (MSMW) in China. METHODS: Men who have sex with men older than 16 years were recruited through 3 MSM-focused Web sites in China. An online survey containing items on sociodemographics, risk behaviors, IPV, and self-reported HIV or sexually transmitted infection diagnosis was completed. Multivariate regression was used to examine associations between IPV and risk behaviors and an HIV or sexually transmitted infection diagnosis. RESULTS: Among 610 participants, 182 (29.8%) reported experiencing at least 1 type of IPV. Men who have sex with both men and women were at significantly greater risk for IPV (adjusted odds ratio [AOR], 1.65; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.08-2.53) compared with MSM. Men who had experienced IPV were more likely to have participated in group sex (AOR, 1.86; 95% CI, 1.08-3.21), to have had sex in exchange for gifts or money (AOR, 5.06; 95% CI, 2.47-10.35), and to report a positive HIV diagnosis (AOR, 2.59; 95% CI, 1.22-5.51). CONCLUSIONS: There is a hidden epidemic of IPV among MSM in China, especially among MSMW. The hidden nature of MSM and MSMW suggests the need for a clinical environment more conducive to disclosure. Research is needed to understand the pathways linking IPV and HIV risk among MSM to optimize the design of effective interventions

Combination methods for HIV prevention in men who have sex with men (MSM)

This is the protocol for a review and there is no abstract. The objectives are as follows: This review seeks to examine the effectiveness of prevention interventions for MSM that combine at least two of the three categories of intervention modality (biomedical, behavioural and structural) compared either to other HIV prevention interventions or to minimal/no HIV prevention. Below, descriptions of the criteria that will be used to categorise intervention components are provided under the heading Types of interventions' and the full list of outcomes of interest are provided in the section Types of outcome measures'. All planned comparisons are detailed in the section Data synthesis', followed by the planned variables of interest for subgroup and meta-regression analyses

Use of Craigslist.org to Hook Up: Age Differences in Sex Requests, HIV Disclosure and Negotiated Safety among Men-Seeking-Men

Data from 984 “men-seeking-men” Craigslist.org postings in five cities were analyzed to assess differences in sexual requests, HIV status disclosure, and negotiated safety between young (18-24 years) and older (25 years and older) men who have sex with men (MSM). Young MSM were less likely than older MSM to post their HIV status or the preferred status of a partner (p=0.04), disclose and/or request a partner who was disease and drug free (p=.01), and request use of a condom in their posting (p=0.01). Interventions aimed at changing the culture and content of postings on Craigslist.org by encouraging HIV status disclosure and condom use preference are warranted, particularly for young MSM

Producing animations to educate MSM and MSW to fashion safe sex practices and address low perceptions of personal risk

This project will produce animations in order to increase understandings of safe sex practices and address low perceptions of personal risk among two of the most vulnerable groups to HIV infection in Thailand. The animations will be incorporated into a prevention outreach program via Ipods, mobile phones and mobile-based portable devices to men who have sex with men (MSM) in their \u27hide-outs\u27, that is, parks, clubs and public toilets and male sex workers (MSW) in sex venues such as brothels, go-go bars and beats. To produce these animations, the project is first researching the sexual practices of MSM and MSW because of the lack of any substantive investigation of their social and sexual networks. This use of technology, informed by social research rather than behavioral studies, offers new possibilities to stem rapidly rising infection rates because it takes into account the diverse MSM and MSW identities. Overall, an estimated one- fifth (21%) of new HIV infections in Thailand occur in men who have unsafe sex with men. This disquieting increase highlights the fact that MSM are not adequately reached through HIV prevention programmes, most likely because little is known about their particular situations, contexts and practices.<br /

Implementation of Web-Based Respondent-Driven Sampling among Men who Have Sex with Men in Vietnam

Objective: Lack of representative data about hidden groups, like men who have sex with men (MSM), hinders an evidence-based response to the HIV epidemics. Respondent-driven sampling (RDS) was developed to overcome sampling challenges in studies of populations like MSM for which sampling frames are absent. Internet-based RDS (webRDS) can potentially circumvent limitations of the original RDS method. We aimed to implement and evaluate webRDS among a hidden population. Methods and Design: This cross-sectional study took place 18 February to 12 April, 2011 among MSM in Vietnam. Inclusion criteria were men, aged 18 and above, who had ever had sex with another man and were living in Vietnam. Participants were invited by an MSM friend, logged in, and answered a survey. Participants could recruit up to four MSM friends. We evaluated the system by its success in generating sustained recruitment and the degree to which the sample compositions stabilized with increasing sample size. Results: Twenty starting participants generated 676 participants over 24 recruitment waves. Analyses did not show evidence of bias due to ineligible participation. Estimated mean age was 22 year and 82% came from the two large metropolitan areas. 32 out of 63 provinces were represented. The median number of sexual partners during the last six months was two. The sample composition stabilized well for 16 out of 17 variables. Conclusion: Results indicate that webRDS could be implemented at a low cost among Internet-using MSM in Vietnam. WebRDS may be a promising method for sampling of Internet-using MSM and other hidden groups. Key words: Respondent-driven sampling, Online sampling, Men who have sex with men, Vietnam, Sexual risk behavio

MSM Behavior Disclosure Networks and HIV Testing: An Egocentric Network Analysis Among MSM in China.

Men who have sex with men (MSM) disclose same-sex behaviors with others, creating disclosure networks. This study examined the characteristics of disclosure networks that are associated with HIV testing among MSM in China through an online nationwide survey. Name-generator questions were used to ask each participant ("ego") to nominate up to five social network members ("alters") with whom he had disclosed same-sex behaviors. Among the 806 men, the average disclosure network size was 4.05. MSM who reported larger disclosure networks were more likely to have been tested for HIV (aOR 1.21, 95% CI 1.08-1.34). The most common disclosure network alters were friends (45.1%), followed by sex partners (18.7%) and healthcare professionals (2.5%). Men who disclosed to healthcare professionals were more likely to test for HIV compared to men who disclosed to family members (aOR 5.43, 95% CI 2.11-14.04). Our findings can inform disclosure network-based interventions to promote MSM HIV testing