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The prevalence of human immunodeficiency virus and syphilis among men who have sex with men in China is high, yet the 2 epidemics are largely geographically separate. Characteristics of the overall population surveyed as well as segments within this population are described.Background. Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) has rapidly spread among men who have sex with men (MSM) in China in recent years; the magnitude of the epidemic is unclear. We sought to test 3 hypotheses: (1) The prevalence of both HIV and syphilis among MSM in China is high, (2) the 2 epidemics each have unique geographical distributions, and (3) demographic and sexual behavior characteristics are different among segments of the MSM population in China.Methods. A total of 47 231 MSM from 61 cities in China participated in a cross-sectional survey conducted from February 2008 to September 2009. Demographic and behavioral data were collected and analyzed and blood samples tested for HIV and syphilis. Three subgroups among the broader MSM sample were described. Main outcome measures were HIV and syphilis prevalence.Results. An overall prevalence of 4.9% (2314/47 231; 95% confidence interval [CI], 4.7%–5.1%) for HIV and 11.8% (5552/47 231; 95% CI, 11.5%–12.0%) for syphilis was found. Syphilis-positive MSM had the highest HIV prevalence, 12.5% (693/5552; 95% CI, 11.6%–13.4%). However, correlations between HIV and syphilis prevalence were found in only 3 of 6 geographical regions (Northwest: r = 0.82, P = .0253; East: r = 0.78, P = .0004; and South-central: r = 0.63, P = .0276). Three subgroups—nonlocal MSM, Internet-using MSM, and female-partnering MSM—were found to have different profiles of characteristics and behaviors.Conclusions. HIV and syphilis prevalences among MSM in China are high and the 2 epidemics are largely separate geographically. Three segments of the Chinese MSM population each have different demographic and sexual risk “profiles” that suggest high potential for bridging infection across geographies, generations, and sexes. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Background To monitor the prevalence of HIV and syphilis as well as behaviours, a sentinel site for men who have sex with men was established in Harbin in 2002. With additional funding, the sentinel surveillance evolved into annual cross-sectional surveys since 2006.Methods Behavioural and serological data collected in five consecutive cross-sectional surveys were analysed. SPSS 13.0 was applied to compare prevalence of HIV and syphilis as well as behavioural variables over time by demographic variables, bivariate and multivariate analysis.Results The prevalence of HIV and syphilis increased from 1.0% in 2006 to 7.5% in 2010 and from 9.2% in 2006 to 22.4% in 2009, respectively, whereas the rate of unprotected anal intercourse decreased from 61.3% in 2006 to 47.1% in 2010. Syphilis positivity and HIV infection are independently associated with each other across years. The rate of unprotected anal sex remains high although it has decreased over the years.Conclusion Findings support an increasing prevalence of HIV and syphilis among men who have sex with men in Harbin. Targeted behavioural intervention and syphilis treatment are urgently needed to prevent the epidemic from growing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]