HIV and STI Prevalence
HIV and syphilis prevalence in the study population were 14.4% and 5.5 %, respectively. Overall, 26.5% of the respondents tested positive for at least one STI, including HIV. Other diagnosed STIs were urethral Neisseria gonorrhoeae 4.8%, anal Neisseria gonorrhoeae 0.3%, urethral chlamydial infection 7.2%, and anal chlamydial infection 1.0%.
Figure IV-2.12: Prevalence of HIV and other STIs
Among only those MSM who reported selling sex, HIV prevalence was 15.0%. This is very similar to the national HIV prevalence among female indirect sex workers in 2000 (16.1%), though it still remains well below those female sex workers in brothels (31.1%)
Figure IV-2.13: Prevalence of HIV among male and female sex workers
Source: Report on HIV Sentinel Surveillance in Cambodia, NCHADS 2000
Factors Associated with HIV Infection
It was found that there was no association between socio-demographic variables and being infected with HIV among MSM. However, two behavioral risks were found to be positively correlated with an increased chance of having HIV. If a participant reported having anal sex with multiple partners in the past month or if he had unprotected sex with a female commercial sex partner in the past month, there was a 3.3 times more likely to have HIV infection than someone who did not report engaging in those risk behaviors.
There was also a strong association between having any STIs and HIV infection (OR, 5.9, CI 1.5 – 23.6), and between having syphilis and having HIV (OR, 9.0, CI 2 – 40.2).
Table IV-2.6: Factors positively associated with HIV
* STI: sexual transmitted infections included for this study: anal and urethral gonorrhea, anal and urethral chlamydia and syphilis OR, Odds Ratio; CI, Confidence interval; P , P value
