Objective To examine the prevalence of and risk factors for syphilis among men who have sex with men (MSM) in 16 cities/districts, 6 provinces in China. Methods Based on a previous survey on the entertainment place and population size of MSM, a cross-sectional study was conducted in 2007 using non-probability sampling method among MSM in 16 cities/districts in China.Information about the demography,risk behavior and syphilis infection was collected through questionnaires from MSM. Univariate and multivariate stepwise logistic regression model was constructed to evaluate independent factors associated with syphilis. Results A total of 4211 participants were recruited. The mean age of these participants was 28 years. Among them, 66.7% were self identified as homosexual, 72.5% were unmarried, and 76.4% had an education beyond senior middle school; in the past 6 months, 8.7% had sexual contact with more than 10 male sex partners, 5.6% had ever paid for male sex service, 11.3% had provided commercial sex service to males, and 18.9% had sexual contact with females, while condom was consistently used in only 36.3% of male-to-male anal sexual behavior. Syphilis was diagnosed in 10.6% of these participants. The risk factors independently associated with syphilis included being older than 25 years (adjusted OR = 1.7; 95% CI:1.3-2.0), local residency (adjusted OR = 1.3; 95% CI: 1.0-1.7), being recruited from a bar or a park (adjusted OR = 1.3; 95% CI: 1.1-1.7), having ever paid for a male sex service(adjusted OR = 1.5; 95% CI: 1.0-2.1),inconsistent condom use during male-to-male anal sexual behavior(adjusted OR = 1.2; 95% CI: 1.0-1.5 ), self reported sexually transmitted infection history (adjusted OR = 1.3; 95% CI: 1.0-1.7). Conclusions There is a high prevalence of syphilis in MSM in the 16 Chinese cities where male-to-male commercial sex service and unsafe sexual behavior are common. Further efforts are urgently needed to scale-up the prevention of and treatment program for syphilis among MSM, which should include syphilis and HIV screening as well as education on the use of condom.

Objective To analyze the progress and characteristics of China' s "Free AIDS treatment strategy" since the implementation of the national "four free and one care" policy against AIDS 12 years ago.Methods Retrospective cohort study and cross-sectional analysis had been conducted in this study.368 449 cases that had received the ‘free antiviral therapy’ from 2002 to 2014 were selected from the National Treatment Database.Data from the baseline (initial time of ART,CD4 cell count,and antiretroviral regimen) and from the follow-up program (dates and status of follow-up,CD4 cell counts) were gathered and analysed by SAS 9.3.Results The number of cases that having received new treatment was increasing year by year,accounting for 75.4％ of all the cases identified from 2010 to 2014.Constituent ratios of patients with baseline CD4 cell count ＜200 cells/μl and clinical diagnosis of AIDS were decreasing from 81.0％ in 2006 to 39.7 ％ in 2014.Status on drug optimization showed that:3TC replaced DDI,EFV replaced NVP and TDF replaced D4T,making the utilization rates as 99.5％,75.7％,and 60.6％,respectively,by 2014.Regions that were covered by the treatment accounted for 75.4％ of all the counties/districts involved.The previous CDC-led AIDS treatment program and mode of management had been transferred to the hospital-based model.Proportion on the twice-CD4-testing model had been 75.2％ since 2010,with the rate of virological detection increased from 70.8％ in 2010 to 87.4％ in 2014 and the virological unsuccessful testing rate decreased from 17.6％ in 2010 to 11.8％ in 2014.Among all the patients,the 1,5 and 10 year survival rates appeared as 92.2％,80.5％ and 69.6％,respectively.For patients with baseline CD4 cell counts as ＜50 cells/μl or ＞350 cells/μl,the corresponding survival rates showed as 81.6％,69.9％,60.9％ and 97.9％,89.8％,81.0％,respectively.Conclusion China's HIV/AIDS free anti-retroviral therapy program appeared as a national treatment cohort which involved large number of participants,with new patients joining in,annually.Criterion on drug optimization and treatment were consistently following the recommendation and guidelines set by WHO.Management program on treatment had gradually turned to hospital-based,with follow-up and laboratory testing programs guaranteed,ended up with satisfactory treatment effects.