Objective  To examine the statuses of knowledge about human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immune deficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS), commercial sexual behaviors, and condom use and the prevalence of HIV infection, syphilis, and sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) among clients of female sex workers in a county of Jiangxi province during the period from 2014 through 2015 for providing evidences to implementation of interventions on HIV/AIDS among the clients.

  Methods  Using respondent driven sampling, we conducted a cross-sectional questionnaire survey and laboratory tests among males having heterosexual commercial sex during previous one year in a county of Jiangxi province from 2014 to 2015.

  Results  The mean age of the 662 clients of female sex workers was 37.93 ± 12.35 years. Of the clients, 79.3% were married; 99.1% were permanent residents of Jiangxi province; and 50.3% reported the education of middle school. The clients’ overall awareness rate of AIDS knowledge was 82.8%, with a higher rate in 2015 than that in 2014. For the clients, the times of having sex with female sex workers in local regions during previous one year was 2 to 3 and major places for having the sex services were foot massage rooms or hair salons. A significantly higher rate of condom use during the latest commercial sex was reported by the clients (χ² = 6.339, P = 0.012) but the clients reported a lower rate of condom use in every sex with spouse during previous one year. Among the clients, the rate of positive syphilis antibody was lower in 2015 than in 2014. No positive sample was detected in urinalysis for morphine, methamphetamine, and ketamine.

  Conclusion  In a county of Jiangxi province, the majority of the male clients of female sex workers are at younger age, married, with local registered residence, and having low education; both the awareness rate of AIDS prevention and control and the rate of condom use have been improved. The prevalence of HIV infection and syphilis are low but that of STDs is high among the clients.