RESEARCH ARTICLE Burden of HIV and Syphilis: A Comparative Evaluation between Male Sex Workers and Non-Sex-Worker Men Who Have Sex with Men in Urban China

Background The increasing burden of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) including HIV and syphilis among male sex workers (MSWs) is a major global concern. The aim of our study was to evaluate the difference between MSWs and non-commercial MSMs in China. Methods During 2008-09, in a cross-sectional study, 2618 adult MSM were recruited through respon-dent-driven and snowball sampling from seven cities of China. Information regarding socio-demographics, risk behaviors, HIV-related knowledge and STI-related symptoms were col-lected and participants were tested for HIV and syphilis. Results Among 2618 participating MSM, 9.97 % sold sex to males. HIV prevalence was 7.45% (6.13 % among MSWs and 7.59 % among non-MSWMSM) and syphilis prevalence was 14.32 % (10.73 % for MSWs and 14.72 % for non-MSWMSM). Compared to non-MSW MSM, MSWs were more likely to be younger (adjusted odds ratio: aOR = 0.91, 95 % confi