HIV Prevalence and Associated Factors Among Men Who have Sex with Men (MSM) in New Jersey, U.S., 2017

This study assessed the HIV prevalence among MSM in the greater Newark New Jersey area including Essex, Hudson, Morris and Union Counties and examined correlates of HIV infection among those men. By analyzing National HIV Behavioral Surveillance data on MSM from four counties in New Jersey (N = 175), which were collected via a venue-based sampling method in 2017, this study shows that HIV prevalence among all races/ethnicities (12.5–31.9%) and all age groups (15.1–47.8%) were high. Casual sex and unprotected sex with male partners were prevalent among these men, regardless of HIV test results. MSM who were tested HIV positive were more likely to have diagnosed any sexual transmitted diseases in the last 12 months (AOR: 6.7; 95% CI 2.2, 21.3) and less likely to have had alcohol use in the past 12 months (AOR: 0.3; 95% CI 0.1, 0.8). Findings from behavioral surveillance strengthens the response to the HIV epidemic by providing policy makers and care/prevention providers with peer reviewed data to base their decisions on.