Beyond Anal Sex: Sexual Practices of Men Who have Sex with Men and Associations with HIV and Other Sexually Transmitted Infections.

INTRODUCTION

Unprotected anal intercourse is often used as a single indicator of risky behavior in men who have sex with men (MSM), yet MSM engage in a variety of behaviors that have unknown associations with sexually transmitted infection (STI) and HIV.

AIM

To assess the prevalence of a wide range of sexual behaviors and their associations with prevalent STI and HIV.

METHODS

We used a standardized, self-administered survey to collect behavioral data for this cross-sectional study of 235 MSM seeking care in a public clinic for sexually transmitted diseases.

MEAN OUTCOME MEASURES

Using modified Poisson regression, we generated unadjusted and adjusted prevalence ratios (PRs) to characterize associations between recent participation in each behavior and prevalent STI and HIV.

RESULTS

Participants' median age was 26 years. One third (35%) were positive for STI. STI prevalence was significantly associated with using sex slings (adjusted PR [aPR] = 2.35), felching (aPR = 2.22), group sex (aPR = 1.86), fisting (aPR = 1.78), anonymous sex (aPR = 1.51), and sex toys (aPR = 1.46). HIV prevalence was 17% and was significantly associated with fisting (aPR = 4.75), felching (aPR = 4.22), enemas (aPR = 3.65), and group sex (aPR = 1.92).

CONCLUSION

Multiple behaviors were significantly associated with prevalent STI and HIV in adjusted analyses. To provide a more comprehensive understanding of sexual risk in MSM, prospective studies are needed to examine whether these behaviors are causally associated with HIV and STI acquisition.