Associations between Recent Gay-Related Stressful Events, Emotional Distress, Social Support & Unprotected Anal Intercourse Behavior among Chinese Men Who Have Sex with Men

This study was designed to assess the levels of and associations between gay-related stressful events, social support, emotional distress and the number of unprotected anal intercourse partners among Chinese men who have sex with men.

Using a respondent-driven sampling method, 807 men who have sex with men were recruited in urban areas of northeast China and data were collected via face-to-face interviews. Gay-related stressful events were measured using the Gay-Related Stressful Life Events Scale; levels of depression, anxiety symptoms and social support were measured using the Self-Rating Depression Scale, the Self-Rating Anxiety Scale and the Social Support Rating Scale, respectively.

Over a quarter of study participants experienced gay-related stressful events during the preceding 3 months. Their average Self-Rating Depression Scale, Self-Rating Anxiety Scale and Social Support scores differed significantly from the national norm. Gay-related stressful events significantly correlated with anxiety, depression, social support and number of unprotected anal intercourse partners, showing a clear dose-response relationship.

Gay-related stressful events are common and are significantly associated with emotional distress, lack of social support and high-risk sexual behaviors among Chinese men who have sex with men. Multifaceted approaches are warranted to increase social support and reduce intolerance toward homosexual behaviors and to reduce risky sexual behaviors related to the rapid HIV epidemic among men who have sex with men population in China.

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By: Yunyong L1, Zhe W2, Junting X3, Yan Z4, Xiaoxia A5, Li Z6, Yuan G7, Chao J8.

• 1Department of Psychiatry, Liaoning Provincial Cancer Hospital, Shenyang, P.R. China.
• 2Department of Psychiatry, China Medical University, Shenyang, P.R. China.
• 3Department of Psychiatry, Dalian Mental Health Center, Dalian, P.R. China.
• 4Department of AIDS, Dandong Municipal Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Dandong, P.R. China.
• 5Department of Chronic Disease, Benxi Municipal Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Benxi, P.R. China.
• 6Department of AIDS, Anshan Municipal Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Anshan, P.R. China.
• 7Department of AIDS, Shenyang Municipal Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Shenyang, P.R. China.
• 8Department of Psychiatry, Dalian Medical University, Dalian, P.R. China jiangchaowst@hotmail.com panpgw@163.com. 

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