LAUSR

Objective: To understand the situation and influencing factors related to the promotion of HIV testing program among sex partners in newly diagnosed HIV positive MSM in Zhejiang province during 2015 to 2017. Methods: Newly diagnosed HIV positive MSM in Zhejiang province from 2015 to 2017 were collected and provided four rounds of testing services to their sexual partners so as to study the consequences. Chi-square test was conducted to compare the difference between groups while multivariate logistic regression was conducted to analyze the related influencing factors. Results: A total of 6 269 HIV positive MSM were provided with four rounds of testing services to their sexual partners. 1 925 HIV positive MSM (30.7%, 1 925/6 269) were successfully persuaded in mobilizing their sexual partners to participate in the HIV testing services. However, 4 344 HIV positive MSM (69.3%, 4 344/6 269) refused to do so. A total of 2 126 sexual partners received HIV testing and the HIV positive rates of those sexual partners appeared as 13.0% (277/2 126, 95%CI:11.6%-14.5%) and 78.7% (218/277, 95%CI: 73.8%-83.6%). Results from the multivariate logistic regression analysis indicated that factors as: HIV positive MSM that participated in the study in 2016 (compared with participated in the study in 2015, OR=1.581, 95%CI: 1.370-1.823), in 2017 (compared with participated in the study in 2015, OR=1.394, 95%CI: 1.208-1.608), living in the reporting city (compared with lived outside the reporting city, OR=1.518, 95%CI: 1.320-1.745), being married (compared with unmarried/divorced/widowed, OR=4.449, 95%CI: 3.837-5.160), having education level of junior high school or below (compared with education level of senior high school or above, OR=1.203, 95%CI: 1.058-1.367), numbers of homosexual partners >5, (compared with numbers of homosexual partner from past between 1-5, OR=1.236, 95%CI: 1.095-1.395), active detection (compared with passive detection, OR=1.340, 95%CI: 1.193-1.506) were more likely to relate to the successful persuasion on their sexual partners to receive the HIV testing. There was no statistical difference noticed between HIV-infected homosexual partners and their corresponding HIV positive MSM, in terms of socio-demographic situations. Conclusions: HIV positive MSM should promote their sexual partners to receive HIV testing. This seemed an important role in expanding the HIV testing in this population. However, the program needs to be further improved and included in daily work, focusing on those partners with similar social and demographic characteristics with those infected MSM.