Prevalence and risk behaviors of Hong Kong males who seek cross-border same-sex partners in mainland China

Background: Little is known about cross-border sex-networking behaviors among men who have sex with men (MSM) Goal. The goal of this study was to determine the prevalence of cross-border sex-networking in mainland China among MSM in Hong Kong and the associated risk behaviors Study: A telephone survey was conducted. A total of 15,230 Hong Kong Chinese men aged 18 to 60 participated in the study. Results: Of the 283 MSM engaged in some MSM behaviors in the last 6 months, 15.2% had engaged in sexual activity with a man in mainland China in the 6 months before the survey. These cross-border MSMI' were more likely than others to have practiced risk behaviors such as having patronized male commercial sex workers, having contracted a sexually transmitted disease (STD), having had greater than or equal to3 MSM partners, and having higher prevalence of HIV testing in the last 6 months (adjusted odds ratio, 3.32-43.83). Conclusions: There is an urgent need for a regional approach to HIV/STD prevention for MSM in southern China.