Abstract: Objective To investigate STD epidemic situation and the related high risk sexual behaviors in Chinese men who have sex with men (MSM). Methods Anonymous questionnaires were performed in 337 MSM, including in-depth interviews with 57 persons. Statistical analyses were performed. Results Eighty-seven cases (25.8%) of MSM investigated suffered from STD. In the last year, 26 cases (7.7%) contracted STD. The number of same-gender sexual partners (SGSP) of the MSM with STD was more than that of the MSM without STD (P<0.05). The following situations were more common in the MSM with STD than those in the MSM without STD: sex contacts in bathrooms (P<0.01), toilets (P<0.01), sex with same-gender strangers and non-local residents (P<0.01), same-gender prostitution (P<0.01), same-gender sex harassment and coercive intercourse (P<0.05), and the condom breakage and slip (P<0.01), etc. Multivariate unconditional logistic regression analysis showed that strange SGSP and non-local SGSP were the main factors for STD prevalence. The relative risks were 3.65 and 2.60, with 95% confidence interval (CI) of 1.63-8.15 and 1.23-5.52, respectively. Conclusion STDs are widely prevalent in Chinese MSM, and closely related to the high risk sexual behaviors.

Key words: Man who has sex with man, Homosexuality, Sexually transmitted diseases, Sexual behavior