Awareness and willingness to accept syphilis chemoprophylaxis among men who have sex with men from three cities in China: a cross-sectional study

Abstract

Background The awareness and willingness to use doxycycline-based syphilis chemoprophylaxis among men who have sex with men (MSM) in China remain largely unknown. Methods We recruited MSM online from Nanjing, Wuhan and Changsha between August and October of 2021, collected data from online survey, analyzed their data using descriptive statistics, and constructed binary logistic regression for factors associated with awareness and willingness to use chemoprophylaxis for syphilis and HIV. Results Of 725 participants (44.0% of which resided in Nanjing, 37.7% in Changsha, and 18.3% in Wuhan), a majority were under 25 years of age; 62.2% had college degrees; 11.3% were HIV positive; and 5.10% had prior syphilis infection. Only 28.83% of participants had heard of syphilis chemoprophylaxis before. Odds of knowing syphilis chemoprophylaxis were higher in those who think it is necessary to have syphilis chemoprophylaxis versus those who think it is unnecessary (P = 0.002), and were higher in those whose acquaintance had chemoprophylaxis experience before (P < 0.001). Meanwhile, those who had no previous doxycycline using history, or had positive attitude were more likely to be willing to accept syphilis chemoprophylaxis (P = 0.009, P < 0.001). Over two-thirds (67.8%) of participants preferred the PEP mode in syphilis chemoprophylaxis, and side-effects of drugs remains their most worrying aspect. Conclusions We observed elevated interest in syphilis chemoprophylaxis in MSM in our investigational areas, indicating that the combination of HIV and syphilis chemoprophylaxis in China is promising.

Low depression literacy exacerbates the development and progression of depressive mood in Chinese adult social media users during COVID-19: A 3-month observational online questionnaire-based study with multiple cross-sectional analyses

“…Data were collected nationwide randomly and anonymously via a professional data collection platform—Wen Juan Xing (Changsha Ranxing Information Technology Co., Ltd., Hunan, China), which is very straightforward and friendly for users (i.e., potential participants). Its validity for conducting online survey studies has been verified in previous studies ( 26 – 28 ). The use of human data from the surveys was carried out in an ethical manner, in line with the principles of the Declaration of Helsinki (as revised in 2013) ( 29 ).…”

The prevalence of mpox and its association with sexual behavior among Chinese men who have sex with men in early August 2023

“…The residence regions were classified as four regions based on the announcement from the National Bureau of Statistics in 2021 (Table ) 23 . Seven items including sources of mpox infection, possible routes of transmission, susceptible population, clinical symptoms, vaccines, specific drugs, and preventive measures were used to assess mpox‐related knowledge based on previous studies 24,25 . To quantify mpox‐related knowledge, each correct answer received one point.…”

Doxycycline prophylaxis for bacterial sexually transmitted infections: evaluating effectiveness, risks, and challenges

“…The effectiveness of public health strategies among MSM, such as bacterial STI prevention using doxycycline prophylaxis, depends on community and healthcare provider acceptance for success. Several studies, primarily based on surveys or interviews, indicate that the use of doxycycline for preventing bacterial STIs is generally accepted among MSM [33][34][35][36] .…”

“…In China, an online survey on 725 participants verified that willingness to use syphilis chemoprophylaxis was greater among those without a history of prior doxycycline use (p = 0.009). Among respondents, 67.8% preferred a post-exposure strategy, while 60.0% expressed concerns about potential side effects as their primary worry 34 . In Canada, 424 MSM completed a questionnaire during routine STI clinic visits and results showed that 60.1% and 44.1% were likely to use DoxyPEP or DoxyPrEP, respectively.…”