Objectives: We sought to assess risk exposures, health care access, and screening rates for HIV and sexually transmitted infections (STIs) among men who have sex with men (MSM) in Massachusetts.
Methods: We used a modified respondent-driven sampling method to collect data between March 2006 and May 2007. Overall, 126 MSM completed a survey.
Results: Seventy percent of participants reported unprotected receptive anal intercourse with at least 1 nonmonogamous male partner; 50% reported having had a previous STI. Although 98% had visited a health care provider in the previous year, 39% had not been screened for STIs during the previous 2 years. Bisexual respondents were less likely to have told their health care providers that they engage in male-to-male sexual contact (OR = 4.66; P < .001), less likely to have been tested for STIs during in the previous 2 years (OR = 6.91; P < .001), and more likely to engage in insertive anal intercourse without a condom with an HIV-infected partner (OR = 5.04; P < .005) than were non-bisexual respondents.
Conclusions: Clinicians need to assess sexual risk-taking behaviors and more routinely screen for STIs among sexually active men regardless of disclosure of a history of having sex with men.