China MACS: An Exploratory Study

描述（由申请人提供）：中国艾滋病监测数据显示，海洛因使用者和性工作者在中国迅速蔓延 艾滋病病毒向普通人群传染，但迄今同性性传播一直被忽视。有一 据估计，中国有3000万男男性行为者（MSM），这一人群可能非常 易感染艾滋病毒/艾滋病取决于具体的危险行为。目前，缺乏关于 艾滋病毒的流行情况、发病率以及影响感染的社会、行为和环境因素 在MSM人群中。大约70%的男同性恋者在社会或家庭压力下结婚或将要结婚， 增加了感染男子向其配偶或子女传播感染的可能性。因为大多数 男男性接触者倾向于保守他们的同性恋秘密，没有精心设计的流行病学研究 进行，以确定艾滋病毒感染的流行率和发病率及其相关因素， 人口这项R21申请建议进行一项流行病学研究，将招募750名年龄 18至40岁，在中国的5个城市。这项研究的具体目的是评估可行性， 招募和保留男男性行为者的方法，以及估计艾滋病毒的流行率和发病率 中国5城市男男性行为人群感染与性病流行病学调查建议进行为期两年的研究， 实现这一目标。该项目可能具有相当大的挑战性，但它可能导致艾滋病毒相关的突破， 研究在中国。这项研究可能会对艾滋病毒相关的生物学，行为学， 临床研究，扩展到中国以外，包括所有艾滋病毒感染的风险人群。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): China HIV surveillance data have shown that heroin users and sex workers in China are rapidly spreading HIV infection to the general population, but so far homosexual transmission has been ignored. There are an estimated 30 million men who have sex with men (MSM) in China, a population that can be extremely vulnerable to HIV/AIDS depending on specific risk behaviors. Currently, information is lacking about the prevalence of HIV, its incidence and which social, behavioral and contextual factors influencing the infection in the MSM population. About 70% of gay men are married or will marry under social or family pressure, thus raising the possibility of spread of infection from infected men to their spouses or children. Because most MSM tend to keep their homosexuality secret, no well-designed epidemiological studies have been conducted to determine the prevalence and incidence of HIV infection and its associated factors in this population. This R21 application proposes to conduct an epidemiologic study that will recruit 750 MSM aged 18 to 40 years old, in 5 cities in China. The specific aim of this study is to assess the feasibility of, and methods for recruitment and retention of MSM, and to estimate the prevalence and incidence of HIV infection and sexually transmitted diseases in MSM in 5 cities in China. A 2-year study is proposed to achieve this aim. This project may be considerably challenging, but it could lead to a breakthrough in HIVrelated research in China. The study could have major impact on a HIV-related biological, behavioral, and clinical research that extends beyond China to include all populations at risk for HIV infection.