title: Sexual behavior of individuals infected with the human immunodeficiency virus. The need for intervention.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Public health efforts to stop the spread of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) emphasize behavior change among all persons at risk of infection. Yet efficient physician-based intervention might be targeted toward persons infected with HIV. To evaluate the need for intervention among HIV-infected persons attending a continuity clinic, we determined the prevalence of behaviors risky for new transmission of HIV and the characteristics of HIV-infected individuals participating in such behavior.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional structured survey of 227 HIV-infected patients attending an urban HIV continuity-of-care clinic.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Nine percent of the subjects had vaginal, anal, or oral sex without a condom with an HIV-negative last sex partner (24% of whom were unaware that the subject was HIV infected) and an additional 13% with an HIV-status-unknown last sex partner (41% were unaware that the subject was HIV infected). Subjects used a condom for intercourse more often with a partner they knew to be HIV negative than HIV-status-unknown or HIV-positive (84% vs 59% vs 51%). Subjects with more lifetime male sexual partners were more likely to have had sex without a condom with an HIV-negative or HIV-status-unknown partner.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The HIV-infected individuals in this clinic setting participate in a substantial amount of sexual behavior placing others at risk of new HIV infection. Physicians must address such behaviors, and programs specifically aimed at reducing such behavior should be a public health priority.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, University of California-Los Angeles.
authors.forename: N S
authors.initials: NS
authors.lastname: Wenger
authors.forename: F S
authors.initials: FS
authors.lastname: Kusseling
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Beck
authors.forename: M F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Shapiro
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012309:Risk-Taking; D012725:Sexual Behavior