Abstract:

Objective To study the relationship between condom use and sexually transmitted infection （STI） incidence among men who have sex with men （MSM） in 9 cities in China. Methods A sectional survey was carried out by using targeted sampling method （snowball sampling） in MSM who often consumed at bars in 9 cities in China, including Harbin, Shenyang, Xi′an, Zhengzhou, Nanjing, Shanghai, Wuhan, Chengdu and Chongqing. The survey respondents were required to complete an anonymous questionnaire, and blood samples were obtained from them. Data were analyzed by SPSS 13.0 software. Results Overall, 2250 respondents were included in this survey. Most MSM recognized that condom use could prevent STI, and no significant difference was observed in the percentage of MSM who had the recognition between MSM with STI and MSM without STI（P﹥0.05）. The incidence of STI was statistically lower in MSM who used condom during sexual intercourse than those who never used （17.2% vs. 24.5%, P < 0.05）, lower in MSM who used condom at every time of anal intercourse in the last 6 months than those who used condom not at every time or never used condom （14.2% vs. 19.3%, P < 0.01）. The respondents who thought that the insistence on using condom would make the partner suspicious that they suffered from STI showed a higher incidence of STI （34.0%） compared with those who believed that they just had one partner （16.6%, P < 0.05）, those who thought that condom use was detrimental to their close relationship （16.1%, P < 0.05）, and those who thought condom use was unnecessary （11.5%, P < 0.01）. Conclusions Condom use is definitely beneficial to the prevention of transmission of STI/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome （AIDS）. MSM who use condom at every time are associated with a lower incidence of STI, while those who think that the insistence on using condom will make their partners suspicious that they suffer from STI are associated with a high incidence of STI.

Key words: Condom-using