Methamphetamine use, Syphilis and Specific Online Sex Partner Meeting Venues Are Associated with HIV Status Among Urban Black Gay and Bisexual Men Who have Sex Men.

BACKGROUND In the context of increasing syphilis rates, particularly among Black MSM, the objectives were to determine the associations between methamphetamine (meth) use and syphilis and HIV positivity, and to identify sex partner meeting venues as potential intervention access points among Black MSM in a mid-Atlantic U.S. city. METHODS This study is an ongoing longitudinal cohort study. Participants were recruited from clinical and non-clinical settings and included sexually-active MSM aged 18-45 years. The baseline visit included a behavioral survey and testing for syphilis, HIV, gonorrhea, and chlamydia. Logistic regression analyses were utilized for hypothesis testing. RESULTS Among 359 MSM completing baseline, 74.4% (268) Black MSM were included; 31% (84) were aged 24-29 years and 43.7% (117) reported unprotected anal intercourse at last sex. 15.3% (41) reported meth use in the past three months. 16.0% (43) had syphilis, 46.6% (125) were living with HIV and 19.0% (51) had gonorrhea and/or chlamydia. Meth use was associated with sexual and drug risk behaviors and HIV, but not syphilis. In adjusted analyses, meth use increased by 6.43 (95% CI 2.30, 17.98) and syphilis positivity by 2.57 (95% 1.23, 5.37) the odds of HIV positivity. Four online sex partner meeting venues were associated with meth use and HIV; while syphilis was associated with one. CONCLUSIONS Among Black MSM, meth use and syphilis positivity were associated with an over six-fold and almost three-fold increased adjusted odds of HIV positivity, respectively. Four specific sex partner meeting venues may be important access points for HIV/STI and substance use prevention.