Citation

Davis A, Best J, Wei C, Luo J, Van Der Pol B, Meyerson B, Dodge B, Aalsma MC, Tucker J. Sex. Transm. Dis. 2015; 42(7): 387-392.

Affiliation

From the *Department of Epidemiology & Biostatistics, Indiana University School of Public Health-Bloomington, Bloomington, IN; †UNC-Project China, Guangzhou, China; ‡Rural Center for AIDS/STD Prevention, Indiana University School of Public Health-Bloomington, Bloomington, IN; §School of Medicine and ¶Department of Epidemiology & Biostatistics and Global Health Sciences, University of California-San Francisco, San Francisco, CA; ∥School of Medicine, University of Alabama-Birmingham, Birmingham, AL; **Department of Applied Health Science and ††Center for Sexual Health Promotion, Indiana University School of Public Health-Bloomington, Bloomington, IN; ‡‡Section of Adolescent Medicine, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN; §§School of Medicine, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, CA; and ¶¶Social Entrepreneurship for Sexual Health Research Group, University of North Carolina and Guangdong Provincial Center for Skin Diseases & STI Control, Guangzhou, China.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2015, Lippincott Williams and Wilkins)

DOI

10.1097/OLQ.0000000000000302

PMID

26222752

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Intimate partner violence (IPV) research has primarily focused on heterosexual couples but has largely ignored IPV among men who have sex with men (MSM). We examined IPV prevalence among MSM and men who have sex with men and women (MSMW) in China.

METHODS: Men who have sex with men older than 16 years were recruited through 3 MSM-focused Web sites in China. An online survey containing items on sociodemographics, risk behaviors, IPV, and self-reported HIV or sexually transmitted infection diagnosis was completed. Multivariate regression was used to examine associations between IPV and risk behaviors and an HIV or sexually transmitted infection diagnosis.

RESULTS: Among 610 participants, 182 (29.8%) reported experiencing at least 1 type of IPV. Men who have sex with both men and women were at significantly greater risk for IPV (adjusted odds ratio [AOR], 1.65; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.08-2.53) compared with MSM. Men who had experienced IPV were more likely to have participated in group sex (AOR, 1.86; 95% CI, 1.08-3.21), to have had sex in exchange for gifts or money (AOR, 5.06; 95% CI, 2.47-10.35), and to report a positive HIV diagnosis (AOR, 2.59; 95% CI, 1.22-5.51).

CONCLUSIONS: There is a hidden epidemic of IPV among MSM in China, especially among MSMW. The hidden nature of MSM and MSMW suggests the need for a clinical environment more conducive to disclosure. Research is needed to understand the pathways linking IPV and HIV risk among MSM to optimize the design of effective interventions.

Language: en