Prevalence of syphilis and HIV infections among men who have sex with men from different settings in Shenzhen, China: implications for HIV/STD surveillance.

HIV/STD surveillance system data are important for developing prevention and control programmes for men who have sex with men (MSM), now a core group in Chinese HIV/STD surveillance activities. MSM were recruited from different settings in Shenzhen and were tested for HIV and syphilis. A substantial prevalence of HIV and syphilis infections was found in this population. However, risk behaviours and sociodemographic characteristics varied greatly among MSM recruited from the different settings (gay sauna, gay bar and MSM clinic), suggesting that carefully considering and selecting appropriate settings to represent the MSM population is critical for developing HIV and STD surveillance and prevention programmes.