Objectives: To determine risk factors for HIV-1 infection in young men in northern Thailand.
Methods: At enrollment into a prospective study, data were collected from a self-administered questionnaire and serologic testing on a cohort of 1115 young men selected by lottery for conscription.
Results: The overall HIV-1 infection rate was 6.9%; however, the rate was 15.3% among the 387 (34.7%) men who had been living in the upper north subregion of Thailand compared with 2.5% for the remaining 728 men (P < 0.001). A history of sex with female prostitutes was reported by 74.7% of men and increased frequency of this type of sex was highly associated with HIV-1 infection and a history of sexually transmitted disease (STD) symptoms (chi 2 for trend, P < 0.001). In stratified and multivariate analyses, however, history of STD symptoms, reported by 42.5% of the cohort, was most strongly associated with HIV-1 infection. Only 42.8% of men who reported sex with prostitutes had used condoms more than half the time.
Conclusions: Young men in the general population in northern Thailand are at high risk for HIV-1 infection via sex with female prostitutes; STD are highly associated with HIV-1 infection. Increasing condom use and controlling STD should be immediate goals of HIV control programs.
PIP: This study sought to determine risk factors for HIV-1 infection in young men in northern Thailand. This cohort of 1115 young men were selected by lottery for conscription and at enrollment into this prospective study, data were collected from a self-administered questionnaire and serologic testing. The overall HIV-1 infection rate was 6.9%; however, the rate was 15.3% among the 387 (34.7%) men who had been living in the upper north subregion of Thailand compared with 2.5% for the remaining 728 men (p 0.001). A history of sex with female prostitutes was reported by 74.7% of men and increased frequency of this type of sex was highly associated with HIV-1 infection and a history of sexually transmitted disease (STD) symptoms (chi square for trend, p 0.001). In stratified and multivariate analyses, however, history of STD symptoms, reported by 42.5% of the cohort, was most strongly associated with HIV-1 infection. Only 42.8% of men who reported sex with prostitutes had used condoms more than half the time. Young men in the general populations in northern Thailand are at high risk for HIV-2 infection via sex with female prostitutes; STDs are highly associated with HIV-2 infection. Increasing condom use and controlling STD should be immediate goals of HIV control programs.