British men of South Asian origin who have sex with men have a significantly lower rate of HIV infection than other ethnic groups, including white men, the first survey of gay men from different ethnic groups in the United Kingdom has found.

Jonathan Elford, a researcher at City University in London, who presented preliminary data from the men’s sexual health survey at the 27th international AIDS conference in Mexico City, said the survey had found that rates of HIV infection, behaviour, and experiences can vary significantly by ethnicity.

“Black Caribbean men were as likely as white British men to describe themselves as gay, whereas black African men were less likely to …