OBJECTIVEThis study aimed to investigate the status of multiple sexual partners and unprotected sexual behaviors and related influencing factors among HIV-positive men who have sex with men (MSM).

METHODSHIV-positive men having sex with men aged 18 years or older, living in Chengdu, Chongqing or Guangzhou were recruited by using the " snowballing" sampling method. Participants completed the questionnaire on computers, after filling in the Informed Consent Form. Content of the study would include social demographic characteristics, number of sexual partners, sexual behaviors, and the symptoms assessment on depression and anxiety.χ(2)-test,t-test and non-conditional Multiple logistic Regression methods were used to examine the risky sexual behaviors with multiple sexual partners among the participants engaged in this project.

RESULTSMean age of the 501 participants was (30.24±7.70) years old. In the past 6 months, 17.4% (87/501) of them had engaged in unprotected sexual behavior with two or more sexual partners. Factors at risk would include: being married (OR=1.93, 95%CI: 0.77-4.84), divorced or widowed (OR=3.94, 95%CI: 1.66-9.36), having primary male sexual partners (OR=5.04, 95%CI: 1.08-23.54) and casual or commercial male sexual partners (OR=2.54, 95%CI: 1.34-4.80) in the past 6 months, drinking alcohol (OR=3.00, 95%CI: 1.37-6.62) or Rush (alkyl nitrite) (OR=3.53, 95%CI: 1.72-7.23) during sexual acts, sharing their HIV-infection status to their partly primary male sexual partners (OR=1.84, 95%CI:0.78-4.33) or not (OR=2.68, 95% CI: 1.25-5.73), and having high sexual sensation seeking scores (OR=1.09, 95%CI: 1.03-1.15).

CONCLUSIONSUnprotected sexual behaviors with multiple sexual partners among HIV-positive MSM played an important role in expediting the HIV transmission. Development of intervention programs to minimize the risk sexual behaviors and setting up efficient medical and biological measures in controlling the HIV transmission were in urgent need.