Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) testing is confirmed as a preventive strategy for HIV control. However, the testing rate and risk behaviors of HIV-negative men who have sex with men (MSM) remain unclear. We aimed to examine factors associated with HIV testing and high-risk behaviors among HIV-negative MSM. From July 2016 to June 2017, participants were recruited by snowball sampling from WeChat groups, bars, and other venues. HIV testing was performed to exclude HIV-positive MSM. Face-to-face questionnaires regarding HIV testing and high-risk behaviors were conducted; 988 MSM were included, and 57.1% of participants underwent HIV testing in the past year. The proportion of high-risk behaviors was 49.9%. Factors associated with HIV testing were bisexual orientation, substance use to adjust psychiatric disorders, and receiving acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) interventions. Being married, bisexual orientation, and receiving AIDS interventions were risk factors for high-risk sexual behaviors, while college or higher degree was a protective factor. We determined that HIV transmission factors are widespread, and the rate of HIV testing is relatively low. Attention should be given to marital status, using substances to adjust psychiatric disorders, or bisexual HIV-negative MSM, and AIDS interventions should be strengthened to promote HIV testing and reduce high-risk behaviors.

Background: Limited studies have explored the impact of the Omicron variant on SARS-CoV-2 infection, hospitalization, and associated factors among people living with HIV, particularly in China. The adjustment of preventive policies since December 2022 in China presents an opportunity to evaluate the real-world factors influencing SARS-CoV-2 infection and related hospitalization among people living with HIV. Objective: This study aimed to investigate SARS-CoV-2 infection, hospitalization rates, and associated factors among people living with HIV following the adjustment of preventive policies from December 2022 to February 2023 in southeastern China. Methods: A cross-sectional telephone or web-based survey was conducted among people living with HIV in 5 cities in southeastern China from December 2022 to February 2023. Demographic information, SARS-CoV-2 infection and related hospitalization, and HIV-specific characteristics were collected from existing databases and special investigations. Multivariate logistic regression analyses were conducted to determine the associated factors for infection and hospitalization rates of SARS-CoV-2. Additionally, subgroup analyses were conducted for the association between vaccination and infection across different vaccination statuses and time since the last vaccination. Results: Among people living with HIV with a COVID-19 testing history, the SARS-CoV-2 infection rate was 67.13% (95% CI 65.81%-68.13%), whereas the hospitalization rate was 0.71% (95% CI 0.46%-0.97%). Factors such as age, latest CD4 cell count, latest HIV viral load, and transmission route were found to be associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection, while age, cancer, latest CD4 cell count, and latest HIV viral load were associated with SARS-CoV-2 hospitalization. In terms of SARS-CoV-2 vaccination, compared to unvaccinated people living with HIV, there was a lower infection rate among those who had been vaccinated for <3 months in the booster vaccination group (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 0.72, 95% CI 0.53-0.98; P=.04); and there was also a lower risk of hospitalization among people living with HIV who had received vaccination in the past 6-12 months (aOR 0.33, 95% CI 0.14-0.81; P=.02) and more than 12 months ago (aOR 0.22, 95% CI 0.07-0.72; P=.01). Conclusions: After the ease of prevention and control measures in China, we observed a high SARS-CoV-2 infection rate but a low hospitalization rate. General risk factors, such as higher age and vaccination status, and HIV-related parameters, such as the latest CD4 cell count and HIV viral load, were associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection and hospitalization. A booster vaccination campaign for booster doses should be considered among people living with HIV in confronting possible COVID-19 epidemic emergencies in the near future.

BACKGROUND Widespread antiretroviral therapy (ART) has converted HIV into a chronic, manageable condition and markedly reduced AIDS-related mortality. Consequently, non-AIDS-defining cancers (NADCs) have emerged as a leading cause of death among people living with HIV (PLWH). Conventional Cox models treat competing events (non-cancer deaths) as censored observations and therefore overestimate absolute cancer mortality risk. Fine-Gray competing-risk methods are required for unbiased estimation of the cumulative incidence of cancer-related death. OBJECTIVE This study aimed to identify independent predictors of cancer-related mortality among PLWH using Fine-Gray subdistribution hazard regression and to develop and internally validate a prognostic nomogram that estimates individualized 3-, 5-, and 10-year absolute risks. METHODS We performed a retrospective cohort study of all PLWH diagnosed and reported in Ningbo, China, between 2006 and 2025 (n=7595). Cancer-related death was the event of interest and non-cancer death the competing event. Participants were randomly split 7:3 into training (n=5317) and validation (n=2278) cohorts. Multivariable Fine-Gray models yielded subdistribution hazard ratios (sHRs). A nomogram incorporating the selected predictors was constructed. Discrimination was assessed by the concordance index (C-index) and time-dependent area under the receiver-operating-characteristic curve (AUC); calibration was evaluated graphically. Risk-stratification performance was examined with cumulative incidence functions and Gray’s test. RESULTS During a median follow-up of 77 months (IQR 37–118), 262 cancer deaths occurred (193 NADCs, 73.7 %). Eight variables remained independently associated with cancer-related mortality: later calendar period of diagnosis (2021–2025 vs 2006–2010: sHR 7.8, 95 % CI 3.6–16.7), male sex (sHR 1.7, 95 % CI 1.0–2.9), older age (≥60 vs <20 years: sHR 6.4, 95 % CI 1.5–27.3), unmarried status (sHR 1.9, 95 % CI 1.0–3.7), history of sexually transmitted infection (sHR 5.4, 95 % CI 3.8–7.7), delayed or no ART initiation (sHR 3.2, 95 % CI 2.2–4.7), lower baseline CD4 count (CD4 ≥500 vs <200 cells/µL: sHR 0.3, 95 % CI 0.2–0.4), and hepatitis C virus coinfection (sHR 50.4, 95 % CI 34.5–73.6). The nomogram showed excellent discrimination (C-index 0.927 training, 0.898 validation) and time-dependent AUCs of 0.892–0.958. Calibration plots demonstrated close agreement between predicted and observed risks. The model stratified patients into high- and low-risk groups with markedly different 10-year cumulative incidences (approximately 10.6–11.0 % vs 0.3–0.5 %; Gray P<.001). CONCLUSIONS Cancer-related mortality, predominantly from NADCs, constitutes a substantial long-term burden for PLWH. The Fine-Gray nomogram provides accurate, individualized absolute-risk estimates that can support risk-adapted cancer surveillance and timely clinical intervention.

Background: The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) testing had been confirmed as a preventive strategy for HIV control. The testing rate and risk behavior of HIV-negative men who have sex with men (MSM) are still unclear. The aim of this study was to examine the factors associated with HIV testing, and high-risk behavior among HIV-negative MSM in Ningbo, China. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted between July 2016 and June 2017. Using snowball sampling to recruit MSM. Participants were recruited from Blued (an app for the gay community), QQ/Wechat groups, voluntary counseling and testing clinics, baths, bars, and other types of venues. Before the interview, all participants had HIV testing. MSM were included if their result of HIV screening test were negative. Face-to-face questionnaires were conducted mainly focused on HIV testing in the past year and high-risk behavior in the past 3 months. Results: In total, 988 MSM were included, 57.1% (564/988) of participants had HIV testing in the past year. The proportion of high-risk sexual behavior was 49.9%. Factors associated with HIV testing were bisexual orientation (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] 0.57, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.42–0.78), drug use to adjust psychological abnormalities (AOR 1.39, 95 CI 1.04–1.85), and receiving HIV interventions (AOR 4.03, 95 CI 3.00–5.42). Being married (AOR 1.72, 95% CI 1.15–2.58), bisexual orientation (AOR 2.13, 95% CI 1.54–2.95), and receiving HIV interventions (AOR 1.65, 95% CI 1.25–2.20) were risk factors for high-risk sexual behavior, while college degree or above (AOR 0.52, 95% CI 0.35–0.77) were the protective factor. Conclusion: We revealed low rate of HIV testing and high rate of risk sexual behavior among HIV-negative MSM in Ningbo. HIV transmission factors are widespread, but the proportion of 90% diagnosed for HIV are still a huge challenge in this population. Attention should be given to married, using substances or bisexual HIV-negative MSM, and HIV intervention should be strengthened to promote HIV testing and reduce risk behavior.

BACKGROUND Limited studies have explored the impact of the Omicron variant on SARS-CoV-2 infection, hospitalization, and associated factors among people living with HIV, particularly in China. The adjustment of preventive policies since December 2022 in China presents an opportunity to evaluate the real-world factors influencing SARS-CoV-2 infection and related hospitalization among people living with HIV. OBJECTIVE This study aimed to investigate SARS-CoV-2 infection, hospitalization rates, and associated factors among people living with HIV following the adjustment of preventive policies from December 2022 to February 2023 in southeastern China. METHODS A cross-sectional telephone or web-based survey was conducted among people living with HIV in 5 cities in southeastern China from December 2022 to February 2023. Demographic information, SARS-CoV-2 infection and related hospitalization, and HIV-specific characteristics were collected from existing databases and special investigations. Multivariate logistic regression analyses were conducted to determine the associated factors for infection and hospitalization rates of SARS-CoV-2. Additionally, subgroup analyses were conducted for the association between vaccination and infection across different vaccination statuses and time since the last vaccination. RESULTS Among people living with HIV with a COVID-19 testing history, the SARS-CoV-2 infection rate was 67.13% (95% CI 65.81%-68.13%), whereas the hospitalization rate was 0.71% (95% CI 0.46%-0.97%). Factors such as age, latest CD4 cell count, latest HIV viral load, and transmission route were found to be associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection, while age, cancer, latest CD4 cell count, and latest HIV viral load were associated with SARS-CoV-2 hospitalization. In terms of SARS-CoV-2 vaccination, compared to unvaccinated people living with HIV, there was a lower infection rate among those who had been vaccinated for <3 months in the booster vaccination group (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 0.72, 95% CI 0.53-0.98; P=.04); and there was also a lower risk of hospitalization among people living with HIV who had received vaccination in the past 6-12 months (aOR 0.33, 95% CI 0.14-0.81; P=.02) and more than 12 months ago (aOR 0.22, 95% CI 0.07-0.72; P=.01). CONCLUSIONS After the ease of prevention and control measures in China, we observed a high SARS-CoV-2 infection rate but a low hospitalization rate. General risk factors, such as higher age and vaccination status, and HIV-related parameters, such as the latest CD4 cell count and HIV viral load, were associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection and hospitalization. A booster vaccination campaign for booster doses should be considered among people living with HIV in confronting possible COVID-19 epidemic emergencies in the near future.

Objective: This study investigated the associations between Western blot (WB) band profiles and demographic characteristics, transmission routes, and immune status among 737 newly diagnosed HIV-1-infected individuals in Quzhou City, China, from 2016 to 2024. Methods: A total of 737 newly diagnosed HIV-1 individuals were enrolled. Confirmed demographic, epidemiological, and immunological data, including WB test results, were retrospectively collected and analyzed using chi-square tests and logistic regression models, with odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Results: The highest positive rates of WB bands were observed in gp160 (100%), gp41 (99.2%), p24 (96.1%), gp120 (93.0%), and p31 (89.7%), while p66 (30.4%), p51 (27.5%), and p55 (13.3%) had low positive rates. Multivariate regression analysis showed that female sex and men who have sex with men (MSM) were independently associated with higher odds of p66 (female sex: aOR = 1.790, P = 0.005; MSM: aOR = 2.657, P < 0.001) and p51 (female sex: aOR = 1.750, P = 0.008; MSM: aOR = 2.439, P < 0.001) bands. Baseline CD4+ T-cell counts were associated with lower odds of env bands (gp120, gp41, p31) but higher odds of core protein bands (p24, p17). Discussion: Baseline CD4+T cell counts were negatively correlated with antibodies against HIV-1 envelope proteins (gp120/gp41/p31), but positively correlated with antibodies against HIV-1 core proteins (p24/p17), indicating that WB band patterns correlate with immune status and may suggest relative stage of infection. P66 and p51 bands were known to emerge relatively late over the course of HIV infection. Multivariate regression demonstrated that female gender and MSM transmission were independent risk factors for p66/p51 seropositivity; higher p66/p51 positivity among MSM may hint at delayed diagnosis, though this association cannot be fully confirmed via cross-sectional data alone, and individual humoral immune variation also contributes to differential band reactivity. Combined with CD4+ T-cell levels, WB band seropositivity patterns may provide auxiliary epidemiological clues for targeted early screening and intervention for high-risk groups, yet WB band profiles cannot act as standardized tools to precisely judge infection duration or formal HIV disease staging due to lack of longitudinal verification. Conclusion: WB band profiles show a significant correlation with gender, transmission route, and baseline CD4+ T-cell counts. Restricted by the cross-sectional design, these band patterns cannot precisely determine delayed diagnosis, yet they may supply auxiliary reference about immune status for newly infected cases.