SEXUAL HEALTH: Majority of Heterosexual Couples Have Unprotected Sex, Study Finds
More than two-thirds of HIV-serodiscordant heterosexual couples surveyed in California report engaging in unprotected intercourse, according to a study published in a recent issue of AIDS. In the study, Dr. Ariane van der Straten of the University of California-San Francisco and colleagues surveyed 104 couples enrolled in the California Partners Study II. Of the group, 37% of the seropositive participants were taking protease inhibitor therapy. Ninety-two percent of subjects had undergone viral load testing, with 40% indicating that as of their last test, virus levels were undetectable. The survey found that more than two-thirds of the study's participants had unprotected vaginal and/or anal sex during the six months preceding the survey. The researchers noted that regardless of serostatus, most respondents said that "viral load testing and awareness of postexposure prevention had no effect on their condom use." According to study authors, "up to 33% of seropositive and 40% of seronegative respondents acknowledged decreased transmission concerns in the light of new HIV treatments." Moreover, the researchers found that seronegative subjects reported "more risk-taking and less concern about HIV transmission" than the seropositive participants. Subjects receiving protease inhibitor therapy were 2.4 times less likely to have unprotected sex than those not receiving the therapy, the study reports. In light of the findings, researchers urge doctors to discuss the risks of HIV transmission with their patients and their patients' seronegative partners (Reuters Health, 4/10).
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