RESEARCH ARTICLE


Factors Associated with Having Multiple Sexual Partners among Men Who Have Sex with Men University Students in Northern Thailand



Eakasit Chaipin1, Penprapa Siviroj1, Thaworn Lorga3, Natthapol Kosashunhanan2, Kriengkrai Srithanaviboonchai1, 2, *
1 Department of Community Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand
2 Research Institute for Health Sciences, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand
3 School of Nursing, Mae Fah Luang University, Chiang Rai, Thailand


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Creative Commons License
© 2021 Chaipin et al..

open-access license: This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International Public License (CC-BY 4.0), a copy of which is available at: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/legalcode. This license permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.

* Address correspondence to this author at Department of Community Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Deputy Director, Research Institute for Health Sciences, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Rai, Thailand; Tel: 66 5393 6148; Fax: 66 5322 1849; E-mail: kriengkrai@rihes.org


Abstract

Background:

Men who have sex with men (MSM) university students were more likely to be infected with HIV than the general population due to various reasons, including having multiple sexual partners, having anal sex without a condom, and using alcohol and drugs. The objective of this study was to investigate the factors associated with multiple sexual partners among MSM university students in northern Thailand.

Methods:

The participants of this study were 139 MSM university students. The number of sexual partners in the last 12 months was used as the main outcome variable. Information was collected using an online self-administered questionnaire. The number of sexual partners for categories of participants was described as median and interquartile range. Factors that were independently associated with multiple sexual partners were identified using binary logistic regression analysis.

Results:

Findings showed that seeking sexual partners online (AOR = 1.72; 95% CI 3.10 - 44.29), drinking alcohol within the last 12 months (AOR=9.73; 95% CI 1.38 - 68.47), and having a self-perception of HIV risk (AOR=3.63; 95% CI 1.15 - 11.50) were independently associated with having multiple sexual partners.

Conclusion:

Health agencies and universities should develop strategies to promote life skills related to sexual responsibility, appropriate use of online media, and reduction of alcohol consumption among MSM university students.

Keywords: Multiple sexual partners, HIV, Men who have sex with men, University students, Northern Thailand, Adolescent.