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Prevalence of HIV Infection and Prior HIV Testing among Young Men Who have Sex with Men. The Baltimore Young Men’s Survey

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Abstract

Data are presented from the Baltimore Young Men’s Survey, a cross-sectional, venue-based sample survey of risks associated with HIV and report of a prior HIV test, conducted between 1996 and 2000, and enrolling 843 young men who have sex with men (MSM) aged 15–29 years. HIV prevalence was 12.1% overall and racial disparities in HIV prevalence were pronounced (range, 2.9% among non-Hispanic whites to 27.1% among non-Hispanic blacks). Risks independently associated with being HIV-positive were: being between 26 and 29 years of age, being non-Hispanic black or of other/mixed race, having had 20 or more lifetime male sex partners, having been diagnosed with a sexually transmitted disease (STD), and not being currently enrolled in school. The majority of participants (78.9%) reported a prior HIV test. In multivariate analysis, being older, having had five or more lifetime male sex partners, having had anal intercourse with males, reporting an STD diagnosis, and reporting recent unprotected anal sex were associated with report of a prior HIV test. Prevention efforts must address high HIV prevalence among young non-Hispanic black MSM and must make testing and effective counseling for young MSM readily available.

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Acknowledgments

The authors wish to thank Wendy Davis for her exhaustive editing efforts and her valuable comments on previous drafts of this paper, as well as the tireless dedication of the YMS staff to their work. Finally, the authors would be remiss if they did not express their gratitude to the young men who participated in this study. Sponsorship: Supported by contracts to The Johns Hopkins University from the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene-AIDS Administration and by cooperative agreements between the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (062/CCU306213-06) with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Epidemiology, The Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 615 North Wolfe Street, Suite E-6539, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA

    Frangiscos Sifakis, John B. Hylton & David D. Celentano

  2. AIDS Administration, Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, Baltimore, MD, USA

    Colin Flynn & Liza Solomon

  3. Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention-Surveillance and Epidemiology, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for HIV, STD, and TB Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA

    Duncan A. MacKellar & Linda A. Valleroy

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  1. Frangiscos Sifakis
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  2. John B. Hylton
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  3. Colin Flynn
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  4. Liza Solomon
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  5. Duncan A. MacKellar
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  6. Linda A. Valleroy
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  7. David D. Celentano
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Correspondence to Frangiscos Sifakis.

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The findings and conclusions in this paper are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

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Sifakis, F., Hylton, J.B., Flynn, C. et al. Prevalence of HIV Infection and Prior HIV Testing among Young Men Who have Sex with Men. The Baltimore Young Men’s Survey. AIDS Behav 14, 904–912 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10461-007-9317-5

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