AEGiS-14IAC: Racial disparities in prevalence and incidence of HIV infection among young men who have sex with men: The Baltimore Young Men's Survey.

14th International AIDS Conference

Barcelona, Spain - July 7-12, 2002

Racial disparities in prevalence and incidence of HIV infection among young men who have sex with men: The Baltimore Young Men's Survey.

Int Conf AIDS 2002 Jul 7-12; 14:(abstract no. LbPeC9036)

Sifakis F, Hylton J, Solomon L, Flynn C, MacKellar D, Valleroy L, Celentano D
The Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, United States

BACKGROUND: To estimate HIV incidence and ascertain racial/ethnic differences in the burden of HIV infections among young men who have sex with men (MSM).

METHODS: The Young Men' Survey was a cross-sectional, venue-based, sample survey conducted in two phases in Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.A. MSM between the ages of 15 and 22 years were enrolled in the study during Phase I (1996-1998). In Phase II (1998-2000) MSM 23 to 29 years old were recruited using the same sampling protocol. Results are presented in the aggregate. HIV incidence was ascertained using the Serologic Testing Algorithm for Recent HIV Seroconversion (STARHS) assay.

RESULTS: Among the 843 participants who gave a lifetime history of a sexual encounter with a man, there were 102 who were HIV infected (12.1%). HIV prevalence by race/ethnicity was 2.9% among whites, 27.1% among African-Americans, 10.0% among Hispanics, and 11.3% among mixed/other race/ethnicity. Of the 102 HIV positive specimens, 12 were STARHS positive and the overall HIV incidence was estimated to be 4.15 % per year (95% CI: 1.76, 8.56). HIV incidence was estimated as 0.6% per year (95%CI: 0.0, 4.2) among whites, 11.0% per year (95% CI: 4.1, 24.1) among African-Americans, 0% per year (95%CI: 0.0, 35.1) among Hispanics, and 10.4% per year (95%CI: 0.6, 16.1) among mixed/other race/ethnicity.

CONCLUSIONS: HIV incidence and prevalence were both high in this young homosexual and bisexual population. African-American young MSM, in particular, demonstrate very high levels of new HIV infections as well as a heavy burden of prevalent infection. Prevention and education programs need to be further developed and tailored to young MSM, specifically targeting African-American MSM and promoting culturally appropriate messages.

Keywords: AEGIS, Prevalence, Incidence, HIV Infections, Coitus, Bisexuality, Safe Sex, Sex, Homosexuality, HIV Seropositivity, African Americans, Hispanic Americans, Baltimore, United States, Maryland, Human, Male, Epidemiology

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