Status quo and characteristic analysis among MSM-users of the "Internet Plus-based AIDS Comprehensive Prevention Service System" in Guangzhou / 中华流行病学杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective@#To analyze the characteristics of the "Interner Plus-based AIDS Comprehensive Prevention Service System" among MSM who frequently using the Internet in Guangzhou.@*Methods@#An online survey was conducted among MSM who were recruited through gay-website portals between August and September, 2018 in Guangzhou, to collect information regarding the use of and attitudes on the "Interner Plus-based AIDS Comprehensive Prevention Service System" . Logistic regression was used to explore the association between the use of Internet intervention tools and related behavioral characteristics. Information on the awareness of AIDS, HIV testing, and condomless anal sex behavior were compared between the core or non-core services users.@*Results@#A total of 777 Internet-based MSM were recruited as participants including 638 men (82.1%) as core service users. MSM were satisfied in using the the "Interner Plus-based AIDS Comprehensive Prevention Service System" while more than 80.0% of the users felt that the tools were helpful in: increasing the HIV awareness, promoting test uptake, and reducing those related risk behavior. Comparing with those who did not use the tools, the users showed higher rates in practising condomless anal intercourse (1.50-1.86 times), commercial sex with men (11.60-21.21 times), and unprotected vaginal intercourse (13.62-20.67 times), in the last 6 months. Proportions of core service users appeared as: [96.6% vs. 74.8%, aOR (95%CI): 8.80 (4.85-15.97)] on HIV testing, [56.4% vs. 22.3%, aOR (95%CI): 4.54 (2.94-7.02)] on regular HIV testing and [86.2% vs. 80.6%, aOR (95%CI): 1.75 (1.06-2.89)] on awareness of HIV knowledge respectively, which were all significantly higher than the non-core service users.@*Conclusions@#The frequent Internet using MSM in Guangzhou claimed to have had high acceptance and satisfaction on the local Internet HIV intervention service tools. The "Internet Plus-based AIDS Comprehensive Prevention Service System" had effectively reached the high-risk subgroups of MSM, increasing the awareness on related risk and promoting testing on HIV.