Impact of Awareness of Sexual Partners’ HIV Serostatus on the HIV Acquisition among Men Who Have Sex with Men in Guangzhou, China: A Nested Case–Control Study

This study aimed to investigate the impact of sexual partners’ HIV serostatus awareness on the HIV acquisition among men who have sex with men (MSM) in Guangzhou, China. A nested case–control study was conducted based on a prospective cohort of MSM in Guangzhou. Within the cohort, individuals who underwent HIV seroconversion were identified as the case group, and each case was matched with four controls from the non-seroconverted participants. Information regarding the awareness of sexual partners’ HIV serostatus over the preceding 6 months was gathered. Of the 161 participants, 36.0% were aware of the HIV serostatus of all their sexual partners. The practice of engaging in condomless anal sex with partners of unknown HIV serostatus and being aware of the HIV serostatus of only some casual partners were positively correlated with an elevated risk of acquiring HIV. Conversely, being fully aware of the HIV serostatus of all sexual partners, including regular ones, was associated with a diminished risk of HIV incidence. Regular communication with sexual partners regarding HIV testing outcomes, honest disclosure of one’s own HIV serostatus, and refusal of sexual contact with partners of unknown HIV serostatus can potentially mitigate the risk of acquiring HIV among MSM.