thematic dossier
Sexually transmitted infections
Les infections sexuellement transmissibles (IST) se transmettent principalement lors des rapports sexuels. Il existe de nombreux virus ou bactéries transmissibles de cette manière.
2023 "Gender Report" Survey (ERAS)
Santé publique France, in partnership with ANRS - Emerging Infectious Diseases, launched the “Rapport au sexe” Health, Sexuality, and Prevention Survey from February 23 to April 6, 2023, targeting men who have sex with men.
Safe Sex
HIV and STI prevention, testing, and sexual orientation—the Sexosafe website addresses issues related to sexuality among men.
Why this survey?
Men who have sex with men and transgender people are particularly at risk of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs), including monkeypox, which emerged in the summer of 2022—despite the various prevention strategies implemented to protect them and their partners.
That is why Santé publique France has conducted the Rapport au Sexe survey for the fourth time, aiming to better understand the use of various protection methods in order to tailor information to the needs of its users. The survey also assessed the impact of the monkeypox outbreak on the health and sexuality of MSM.
Objectives and Expected Results
The ERAS survey has been conducted via an online questionnaire every two years since 2017 and aims to describe and understand the sexual and preventive behaviors of men who have sex with men and transgender individuals.
The results of this survey are used to tailor prevention messaging for men who have sex with men to help them adopt various prevention tools and to adapt prevention services to their needs.
The 2023 edition also aimed to understand the effects of the monkeypox outbreak on their health and sexuality.
Who can participate?
This survey is intended for men aged 18 or older, residing in France (mainland France and overseas departments), who have had sexual relations with men at some point in their lives, regardless of whether they identify as homosexual, gay, bisexual, heterosexual, etc.
Respondents may be cisgender men (assigned male at birth and identify as male) or transgender individuals (assigned female at birth and identify as male, or assigned male at birth and identify as female).
How to participate?
The 2023 edition has ended. More than 23,500 people participated in the survey.
Why is this survey important?
This survey aims to collect as many responses as possible to provide the most comprehensive overview of the diversity of profiles, sexualities, social behaviors, and behaviors among men who have sex with men.
Results
In 2023, more than 20,000 cisgender and transgender men who have sex with men (MSM) responded to the ERAS survey. The sociodemographic profile of these participants was similar to that of previous editions: median age of 33, mostly born in France, college graduates, urban residents, and identifying as gay. One-third of HIV-negative MSM were eligible for PrEP, but nearly half reported not having used it in the past six months [1]. In total, more than 20% of participants reported using PrEP, a proportion that is increasing but which, given the decline in condom use, does not improve overall preventive coverage (75%) [2]. Regarding chemsex, 13% of respondents reported engaging in it [3]. The ERAS findings, whether regarding protection [1, 2, 5, 6] or testing [2, 4, 5, 6], reveal the persistence of social and socio-spatial inequalities that hinder HIV eradication.
Velter A, Champenois K, Girard G, Roux P, Mercier A. Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) for HIV infection among men who have sex with men responding to the 2023 Rapport au Sexe survey: who is eligible? Who are the users? Bull Epidemiol Hebd. 2023(24-25):542-52.
Velter A, Trends in HIV prevention coverage in France among men who have sex with men: Rapport au Sexe Survey 2017-2019-2021-2023. STI, PrEP, and Sexual Health Thematic Days, May 28-29, 2024, Paris
Velter A, Roux P. Chemsex use in the national Rapport au Sexe (ERAS) surveys among men who have sex with men: trends between 2017 and 2023. Psychotropes. 2024; 30 (2-3): 53-73.
Kounta CH, Chazelle E, Ousseine YM, Lot F, Velter A. Factors associated with bacterial sexually transmitted infection screening uptake and diagnosis among men who have sex with men in France. BMC Infect Dis 24, 1431 (2024).
Chameau Z, Champenois K, Lert F, Lefrançois R, Mercier A, Velter A. Geographic and social disparities in the use of screening and pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) among men who have sex with men (MSM) residing in Île-de-France. Bull Epidemiol Hebd. 2024(14):286-95
Chameau Z, Mercier A, Velter A. Sexual behaviors of young men who have sex with men in the era of biomedical prevention: specific vulnerabilities among the youngest—2023 Sex Survey. Bull Epidemiol Hebd. 2025;(19-20):354-63.
Sexual health
thematic dossier
Santé publique France focuses in particular on four areas of sexual health: sexually transmitted infections, including HIV; contraception; combating discrimination; and violence.
HIV/AIDS
thematic dossier
HIV, or Human Immunodeficiency Virus, is a sexually transmitted human retrovirus. It weakens the immune system, and if left untreated, leads to AIDS.
