title: Changes in sexually transmitted disease rates after HIV testing and posttest counseling, Miami, 1988 to 1989.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The effects of posttest counseling on acquisition of sexually transmitted diseases in patients at a large urban sexually transmitted disease clinic were studied.
  
  
  METHODS
  Comparisons were made of the percentage of patients who had a positive gonorrhea culture (or any sexually transmitted disease) in the 6 months before and after human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) counseling and testing.
  
  
  RESULTS
  For 331 patients counseled about a positive HIV test, the percentage with gonorrhea was 6.3 before and 4.5 after posttest counseling (29% decrease). For 666 patients counseled about a negative test, the percentage with gonorrhea was 2.4 before and 5.0 after posttest counseling (106% increase). With any sexually transmitted disease as the outcome, patients who tested positive for HIV had a 12% decrease and patients who tested negative had a 103% increase after counseling.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  HIV counseling and testing was associated with a moderate decrease in sexually transmitted diseases among patients who tested positive for the virus, but risk increased for patients who tested negative. This suggests a need to improve posttest counseling in this clinic and to assess the effects of counseling and testing in other clinics.
authors.affiliation: Division of STD/HIV Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Ga. 30333.
authors.forename: M W
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: Otten
authors.forename: A A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Zaidi
authors.forename: J E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Wroten
authors.forename: J J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Witte
authors.forename: T A
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Peterman
mesh_terms: D015492:AIDS Serodiagnosis / Q000592:standards*; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000554:Ambulatory Care Facilities; D002648:Child; D016358:Contact Tracing; D003376:Counseling / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000592:standards*; D005260:Female; D005431:Florida / Q000453:epidemiology; D006069:Gonorrhea / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D015528:HIV Seroprevalence; D015438:Health Behavior; D006305:Health Status Indicators; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009937:Organizational Objectives; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D015397:Program Evaluation; D012008:Recurrence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012725:Sexual Behavior; D012749:Sexually Transmitted Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control