We propose to obtain cross-sectional and longitudinal data on """"""""HIV serosorting"""""""" among men who have sex with men (MSM) in San Francisco. We broadly define HIV serosorting as diverse strategies to reduce HIV acquisition or transmission by intentionally selecting sexual partners of the same serostatus or by modifying sexual practices depending on the partner's serostatus. The current phase of the HIV epidemic in San Francisco is complex with rising levels of overall unprotected anal sex (UAS) and sexually transmitted diseases (STD), yet stable HIV incidence. We hypothesize that HIV serosorting may explain these apparently contradictory findings;that is, increasing UAS with partners of the same HIV serostatus is leading to increases in STD incidence but not HIV incidence. While some evidence suggests serosorting may be increasing among MSM in San Francisco, many questions remain: How prevalent is serosorting as a deliberately adopted HIV prevention strategy in the MSM community? How do MSM identify partners of the same serostatus? What factors contribute to the success or failure of adhering to serosorting strategies? We need detailed and prospectively collected data in order to answer these questions and to assess the causal relationship between reported serosorting and actual risk for HIV. Accurate information is essential for dispelling misperceptions of serosorting if it is not causally associated with reducing serodiscordant UAS, or for increasing serosorting success if it is, or for framing serosorting in the context of risk reduction (but not elimination) if its in role in reducing risk is mixed. We propose to recruit a community-based cohort of HIV- negative and HIV-positive MSM using a probability-based time-location sampling method with longitudinal follow-up over the internet.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
5R01MH077509-04
Application #
7748004
Study Section
Behavioral and Social Consequences of HIV/AIDS Study Section (BSCH)
Program Officer
Brouwers, Pim
Project Start
2007-01-01
Project End
2010-12-31
Budget Start
2010-01-01
Budget End
2010-12-31
Support Year
4
Fiscal Year
2010
Total Cost
$360,813
Indirect Cost
Name
San Francisco Department of Public Health
Department
Type
DUNS #
103717336
City
San Francisco
State
CA
Country
United States
Zip Code
94102
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Chen, Yea-Hung; Vallabhaneni, Snigdha; Raymond, H Fisher et al. (2012) Predictors of serosorting and intention to serosort among men who have sex with men, San Francisco. AIDS Educ Prev 24:564-73
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Wei, Chongyi; McFarland, Willi; Colfax, Grant N et al. (2012) Reaching black men who have sex with men: a comparison between respondent-driven sampling and time-location sampling. Sex Transm Infect 88:622-6
Raymond, H Fisher; Hughes, Alison; O'Keefe, Kara et al. (2011) Hepatitis C prevalence among HIV-positive MSM in San Francisco: 2004 and 2008. Sex Transm Dis 38:219-20
McFarland, Willi; Chen, Yea-Hung; Raymond, H Fisher et al. (2011) HIV seroadaptation among individuals, within sexual dyads, and by sexual episodes, men who have sex with men, San Francisco, 2008. AIDS Care 23:261-8
Stall, Ron; Wei, Chongyi; Raymond, H Fisher et al. (2011) Do rates of unprotected anal intercourse among HIV-positive MSM present a risk for hepatitis C transmission? Sex Transm Infect 87:439-41
Wei, Chongyi; Raymond, H Fisher; Guadamuz, Thomas E et al. (2011) Racial/Ethnic differences in seroadaptive and serodisclosure behaviors among men who have sex with men. AIDS Behav 15:22-9
Bohl, Daniel D; McFarland, Willi; Raymond, H Fisher (2011) Improved measures of racial mixing among men who have sex with men using Newman's assortativity coefficient. Sex Transm Infect 87:616-20
McFarland, Willi; Abu-Raddad, Laith J; Mahfoud, Ziyad et al. (2010) HIV/AIDS in the Middle East and North Africa: new study methods, results, and implications for prevention and care. AIDS 24 Suppl 2:S1-4

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