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Associations Between Perceived Characteristics of the Peer Social Network Involving Significant Others and Risk of HIV Transmission Among Men Who Have Sex with Men in China

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Abstract

The HIV epidemic among men who have sex with men (MSM) in China is severe. Peer can induce risky and preventive behaviors among MSM. We interviewed 220 MSM who had at least one significant other who was a peer MSM (SOPM). Interviews were conducted at two gay venues in Suzhou, China, which reported five HIV-related outcomes: HIV (8.2 %), syphilis (16.4 %), self-reported sexually transmitted infection symptoms (14.6 %), unprotected anal intercourse (UAI; 58.6 %) and having had taken up HIV testing (40.4 %). Adjusting for significant background variables, participants’ perceived characteristics of the social network of SOPM, such as practicing risk behavior (e.g. UAI) or preventive behaviors (e.g. HIV antibody testing), or possessing HIV-related perceptions (e.g. dislike in condom use), were significantly associated with some of the five aforementioned outcomes (p < 0.05). Peer education and peer-based interventions involving significant others are hence potentially important in HIV prevention targeting MSM. Future pilot intervention studies are warranted.

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Acknowledgments

This study is financially supported by Jiangsu Provincial Technologies Research Program, No. BE2009685.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China

    Chun Hao & Jing Gu

  2. Faculty of Medicine, Centre for Health Behaviours Research, School of Public Health and Primary Care, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, 5/F, Prince of Wales Hospital, Shatin, NT, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China

    Chun Hao, Joseph T. F. Lau & Jing Gu

  3. Center for Medical Anthropology and Behavioral Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China

    Chun Hao, Joseph T. F. Lau & Jing Gu

  4. Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, University of Maryland College Park, College Park, Maryland, United States

    Chun Hao

  5. Suzhou Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Suzhou, Jiangsu, China

    Xiuping Zhao

  6. Jiangsu Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China

    Haitao Yang, Xiping Huan & Hongjing Yan

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  1. Chun Hao
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  2. Joseph T. F. Lau
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  3. Xiuping Zhao
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  4. Haitao Yang
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  7. Jing Gu
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Joseph T. F. Lau.

Additional information

C. Hao and J. T. F. Lau contributed equally to this study.

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Hao, C., Lau, J.T.F., Zhao, X. et al. Associations Between Perceived Characteristics of the Peer Social Network Involving Significant Others and Risk of HIV Transmission Among Men Who Have Sex with Men in China. AIDS Behav 18, 99–110 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10461-013-0492-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10461-013-0492-2

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