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Introduction: In China, young men who have sex with men (YMSM) are one of the groups most at risk of HIV/AIDS. The uptake of pre‐exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) among YMSM has not been well documented. A cascade analysis of awareness, willingness, use and adherence with regard to PrEP was conducted separately among YMSM students and non‐students. Methods: From 20 October to 30 December 2021, all adolescents aged 16–24 years were selected for the study from among MSM recruited from 31 provincial administrative regions in mainland China. Participants were included in a cross‐sectional study of awareness, willingness, use and adherence with regard to PrEP among YMSM. Logistic regression modelling was used to identify factors associated with the four outcomes. Results: Among 1014 student and 866 non‐student YMSMs, respectively, 88.07% and 81.64% had heard of PrEP; 58.16% and 50.35% were willing to use PrEP; 7.59% and 7.62% had used PrEP; and 3.16% and 3.58% had adhered to PrEP. Among students, those living in high‐risk areas and pilot cities and those who had engaged in commercial sex and group sex had a positive effect on PrEP use, and the same trends were found among non‐students living in high‐risk areas and pilot cities and those who had engaged in group sex. 'Daily oral' and 'flexible' PrEP use positively influenced adherence among both groups. Conclusions: A differentiation strategy of PrEP promotion should be implemented among YMSM. Material support for students, such as financial resources, should increase, while non‐students should increase their level of perception of HIV risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Non-occupational post-exposure prophylaxis (nPEP) is recommended to reduce the likelihood of HIV infection after potential exposure. However, little is known about this practice among Chinese gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men (GBM). GBM were enrolled from both centers for disease prevention and control (CDCs) and community health centers in six cities in China. Multivariable logistics regression was used to assess factors associated with awareness of and willingness to use nPEP. A total of 516 eligible GBM were included, 67.2% of whom were aware of nPEP, 76.0% were willing to use nPEP, and 2.3% had ever used nPEP. GBM who had college or higher education, had disclosed sexual orientation, had increased number of male sex partners in the last 6 months, and had ever tested for HIV were more likely to be aware of nPEP. Willingness to use nPEP was significantly associated with college or higher education, STI history, gay app use, and awareness of nPEP prior to study. Uptake of nPEP is still low among MSM in China. Efforts are needed to improve awareness of and access to nPEP among GBM, especially those at higher risk of HIV infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Secondary distribution of HIV self-testing (HIVST) among individual social networks was an effective approach to expanding HIV testing among men who have sex with men (MSM). However, understanding the factors associated with first-time HIV testing behaviors in the secondary distribution of HIVST programs is limited. Hence, this study aims to identify factors related to first-time testers in the secondary distribution of HIVST. Participants were recruited from five provinces in southern China through Blued, a geo-social gay networking app in China from January 2021 to December 2021. Eligible consented participants (referred to as "seeds") finished a baseline survey and then applied for up to five HIVST kits. They were encouraged to distribute HIVST kits to other MSM (referred to as "alters") and alters were encouraged to scan a QR code to return their photographed testing results. All alters were invited to finish an online survey. In total, 229 seeds reached 292 alters, among whom 126 (43.2%) were first-time testers whereas 166 (56.8%) were non-first-time testers. Importantly, our results demonstrated that the first-time HIV testers were more likely to self-report as heterosexual (aOR = 4.88, 95% CI 1.01–23.61), disclose sexual orientation and/or SSB (aOR = 1.73, 95% CI 1.01–2.96), and receive HIVST knowledge from the seeds (aOR = 3.25, 95% CI 1.02–10.34). However, those who had sex with male partners in the last three months were less likely to be first-time testers (aOR = 0.43, 95% CI 0.23–0.82). Practical implications and limitations were also discussed to improve future HIV prevention programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In "Commodities of Care: The Business of HIV Testing in China" by Elsa L. Fan, the author explores the impact of business logics on global health, specifically in the context of HIV testing among men who have sex with men (MSM) in China. The author argues that the dominance of donor-imposed technical interventions has transformed MSM from subjects of care into commodities of care. The book examines the effects of performance-based financing on local health strategies, community-based organizations, and the MSM community. It also highlights the lack of humanity and compassionate care in technocratic approaches to testing interventions. While the book provides important insights into the unintended consequences of profit-oriented health interventions, it lacks in-depth analysis and fails to address underlying power dynamics in global health funding. Overall, the book emphasizes the importance of qualitative research in uncovering injustices in health programming. [Extracted from the article]