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RESEARCH ARTICLE
Contents Vol 8(1)

Survey investigating homosexual behaviour among adult males used to estimate the prevalence of HIV and AIDS among men who have sex with men in Japan

Seiichi Ichikawa A D , Noriyo Kaneko A , Jane Koerner A B , Satoshi Shiono A B , Akitomo Shingae A B and Toshihiro Ito A C
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

A Nagoya City University, School of Nursing, Department of Communicable Disease Epidemiology and Control, 1 Kawasumi Mizuho-cho Mizuho-ku, Nagoya 467-8601, Japan.

B Japan Foundation for AIDS Prevention, Tokyo 101-0061, Japan.

C Sendai Medical Center, 2-8-8 Miyagino, Miyagino-ku, Sendai, Miyagi 983-8520, Japan.

D Corresponding author. Email: itikawas@med.nagoya-cu.ac.jp

Sexual Health 8(1) 123-124 https://doi.org/10.1071/SH10073
Submitted: 18 June 2010  Accepted: 20 August 2010   Published: 24 January 2011

Abstract

Background: This study investigated the prevalence of male homosexual behaviour among adult men and of HIV and AIDS among men who have sex with men (MSM) and non-MSM in Japan. Methods: An anonymous self-administered postal questionnaire, and national HIV and AIDS notifications. Results: Same-sex sexual experience was reported by 2.0% of respondents. The prevalence of HIV and AIDS was 0.8818% among MSM and 0.0130% among non-MSM, indicating that HIV and AIDS are 68 times more prevalent among MSM. Conclusion: Our findings underestimate homosexual and HIV prevalence due to several methodological limitations. The high prevalence of HIV and AIDS among MSM in comparison with non-MSM indicates the urgent need to prioritise funding and programs targeting MSM in Japan.

Graphical Abstract Image

Additional keywords: Asia, questionnaire, same-sex attraction.


Acknowledgements

This study was funded by a Health and Labour Sciences Research Grant: Research on HIV/AIDS and was conducted by the Study Group on the Development of Community-based HIV Prevention Interventions for MSM. Thanks to Associate Professor Garrett Prestage from the University of New South Wales and La Trobe University for his comments on an earlier draft. Data presented at the 23rd Annual Meeting of the Japanese Society for AIDS Research 11–28 November 2009.


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