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Introduction: Globally, young gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men (gbMSM) continue to experience disproportionately high rates of HIV and other sexually transmitted and blood-borne infections (STBBIs). As such, there are strong public health imperatives to evaluate innovative prevention, treatment and care interventions, including online interventions. This study reviewed and assessed the status of published research (e.g. effectiveness; acceptability; differential effects across subgroups) involving online interventions that address HIV/STBBIs among young gbMSM., Methods: We searched Medline, Embase, PsycINFO, CINAHL, and Google Scholar to identify relevant English-language publications from inception to November 2016. Studies that assessed an online intervention regarding the prevention, care, or treatment of HIV/STBBIs were included. Studies with <50% gbMSM or with a mean age ≥30 years were excluded., Results: Of the 3465 articles screened, 17 studies met inclusion criteria. Sixteen studies assessed interventions at the "proof-of-concept" phase, while one study assessed an intervention in the dissemination phase. All of the studies focused on behavioural or knowledge outcomes at the individual level (e.g. condom use, testing behaviour), and all but one reported a statistically significant effect on ≥1 primary outcomes. Twelve studies described theory-based interventions. Twelve were conducted in the United States, with study samples focusing mainly on White, African-American and/or Latino populations; the remaining were conducted in Hong Kong, Peru, China, and Thailand. Thirteen studies included gay and bisexual men; four studies did not assess sexual identity. Two studies reported including both HIV+ and HIV- participants, and all but one study included one or more measure of socio-economic status. Few studies reported on the differential intervention effects by socio-economic status, sexual identity, race or serostatus., Conclusion: While online interventions show promise at addressing HIV/STBBI among young gbMSM, to date, little emphasis has been placed on assessing: (i) potential differential effects of interventions across subgroups of young gbMSM; (ii) effectiveness studies of interventions in the dissemination phase; and (iii) on some "key" populations of young gbMSM (e.g. those who are: transgender, from low-income settings and/or HIV positive). Future research that unpacks the potentially distinctive experiences of particular subgroups with "real world" interventions is needed., (© 2017 The Authors. Journal of the International AIDS Society published by John Wiley & sons Ltd on behalf of the International AIDS Society.)

To date, there have been no reports characterizing HIV-1 in the semen of Chinese men who have sex with men (MSM) with early infection. In this study, genetic diversity and viral load of HIV-1 in the seminal compartments and blood of Chinese MSM with early HIV-1 infection were examined. Viral load and genetic diversity of HIV-1 in paired samples of semen and blood were analyzed in seven MSM with early HIV-1 infection. HIV-1 RNA and DNA were quantitated by real-time PCR assays. Through sequencing the C2-V5 region of the HIV-1 env gene, the HIV-1 genotype and genetic diversity based on V3 loop amino acid sequences were determined by using Geno2pheno and PSSM programs co-receptor usage. It was found that there was more HIV-1 RNA in seminal plasma than in blood plasma and total, and more 2-LTR circular and integrated HIV-1 DNA in seminal cells than in peripheral blood mononuclear cells from all seven patients with early HIV-infection. There was also greater HIV-1 genetic diversity in seminal than in blood compartments. HIV-1 in plasma displayed higher genetic diversity than in cells from the blood and semen. In addition, V3 loop central motifs, which present some key neutralizing antibody epitopes, varied between blood and semen. Thus, virological characteristics in semen may be more representative when evaluating risk of transmission in persons with early HIV infection., (© 2017 The Societies and John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.)

Objectives: The population of Latino men who have sex with men (MSM) and who are also injection drug users (IDUs) is understudied. We explored risk behaviors of MSM/IDUs compared with other male IDUs in 2 Mexican border cities., Study Design: In 2005, IDUs who had injected within the previous 30 days were recruited using respondent-driven sampling (RDS) in Tijuana and Ciudad Juárez. They underwent antibody testing for HIV, HCV, and syphilis and interviewer-administered surveys. Men were categorized as MSM if they reported > or =1 lifetime male partners. Logistic regression was used to compare MSM/IDUs with non-MSM/IDUs., Results: A third (31%) of 377 male IDUs were categorized as MSM (47% in Tijuana and 13% in Ciudad Juárez, P <0.01). Combined RDS-adjusted prevalence of HIV and Hepatitis C was 3% (95% CI: 1, 5) and 96%, (95% CI: 94, 99) respectively, while 17% (95% CI: 2, 36) of MSM and 8% (95% CI: 3, 12) of non-MSM tested positive for syphilis antibody. In multivariate logistic regression adjusted for site, MSM/IDUs were more likely than non-MSM/IDUs to have ever used inhalants (OR: 3.4; 95% CI: 1.8, 6.2) or oral tranquilizers (OR: 2.4; 95% CI: 1.3, 4.6), received treatment for a drug problem (OR:1.9; 95% CI: 1.1, 3.2) shared needles in the last six months (OR: 2.1; 95% CI: 1.0, 4.2) and also had higher numbers of lifetime female partners (log-transformed continuous variable, OR: 1.6; 95% CI: 1.2, 2.1)., Conclusions: In these Mexican cities, the proportion of MSM among male IDUs was high. Compared with other male IDUs, MSM/IDUs were more likely to engage in behaviors placing them at risk of acquiring HIV/STIs. Culturally appropriate interventions targeting Latino MSM/IDUs are warranted.

Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and predictors of risky sexual behaviors among men visiting gay bathhouses., Study Design: A cross-sectional study was conducted at 8 gay bathhouses in Taiwan. Bathhouse attendees were invited to complete a questionnaire and to be screened for HIV/STIs., Results: Of 451 men recruited for the study, 339 (75%) completed the questionnaire and were screened for HIV/STIs. The study indicated that seroprevalence rates of anti-HIV-1 antibody, specific Treponema pallidum antibodies detected by hemagglutination assay, surface antigen of hepatitis B virus, IgG antibodies for hepatitis A virus, antibody for hepatitis C virus, and indirect hemagglutination antibody for Entamoeba histolytica (serum titer > or =1:128) were 8%, 18%, 16%, 38%, 3%, and 6%, respectively. Prevalence rates for chlamydial and gonococcal infections reflected by nucleic acid amplification tests in urine samples were 7% and 4%, respectively. Irregular use of condoms during oral sex, condom inaccessibility at bathhouses, unprotected sex at public venues, no prior HIV test, and 5 or more visits to bathhouses every month were independently associated with unprotected anal intercourse., Conclusion: Men attending gay bathhouses report engaging in unsafe sex practices and are at substantial risk of acquisition of HIV/STIs. These findings highlight the need for more comprehensive prevention efforts at gay bathhouses.

Background: Previous data indicating wide racial disparities in HIV seroprevalence, associations between sentinel sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) and HIV infection, and recent reports of STD outbreaks among men who have sex with men (MSM) have raised concerns that HIV may be resurgent among MSM., Goal: To measure trends in HIV seroprevalence and describe racial disparities among MSM presenting to New York City Department of Health STD clinics, 1990-1999 (n = 4076)., Study Design: This blinded HIV-1 serosurvey used remnant serum originally drawn for routine serologic tests for syphilis. Demographic, risk factor, clinical and laboratory data were abstracted from clinic charts of patients whose medical records documented sexual contact with men or with both men and women ("bisexual" men). Data were matched to the specimens, and all personal identifiers were removed before testing. Patients were not interviewed., Results: The sample was 41% black, 20% Hispanic, 31% white, and 9% of other or mixed race/ethnicity. Sixty-one percent of the patients were >30 years of age; 21% were > or = 40 years of age. One-third had sex with women as well as men. For 60%, laboratory-confirmed STD diagnosis was made on the serosurvey visit. Overall, HIV seroprevalence declined from 47% in 1990 to 18% in 1999 (P < 0.01). Seroprevalence declined from 34% to 11% among white men (n = 1250), from 47% to 19% among Hispanic men (n = 795), from 56% to 28% among black men (n = 1656), and from 43% to 14% among men who had sex with both men and women (n = 1447). Seroprevalence among MSM with gonorrhea (n = 507) declined but remained high (57-34%; P < 0.05). In contrast, seroprevalence among MSM with nongonococcal urethritis (n = 953) declined from 36% to 16% (P < 0.01), and seroprevalence among MSM who had no STD (n = 1650) dropped from 48% to 12% (P < 0.01). Gonorrhea was diagnosed almost twice as frequently among seropositive versus seronegative MSM (19% versus 10%; P < 0.05). Black MSM were not more or less likely to have been tested for HIV or to be diagnosed with acute STD than were MSM in the other-race/ethnicity group. Positive serostatus was associated with black race/ethnicity (odds ratio [OR], 2.5; 95% CI, 2.1-2.9), age >25 years (OR, 2.5; 95% CI, 1.9-3.1), and a diagnosis of gonorrhea (OR, 2.4; 95% CI, 2.0-2.8). Sixty percent of seropositive MSM knew their serostatus from confidential or anonymous HIV testing at this or a previous visit. Two thirds of the known seropositive men had a new STD diagnosed at the serosurvey visit., Conclusion: Seroprevalence in this racially diverse sample of MSM declined significantly during the study period. However, wide racial disparities in seroprevalence were observed that were not attributable to disparities in risk factors such as STD, bisexuality, or acceptance of HIV testing. This finding suggests that the observed differences may reflect racial differences in the background seroprevalences, such as those seen in all New York City serosurvey samples and the population-based AIDS case rates. High prevalence associated with gonorrhea and new STD in known seropositive men of any race suggests that continued efforts to control the incidence of STD, increased encouragement of MSM to accept HIV counseling and testing, and prevention-focused counseling of seropositive men are needed.