Risk behaviors for sexually transmitted infections among men with mental disorders.
OBJECTIVE
Risk behaviors for sexually transmitted infections among men with mental disorders who were using outpatient psychiatric services and among men who had never been treated for a mental disorder were compared.


METHODS
Ninety-two men with major mental disorders, including schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and mood disorders, were individually matched for age and ethnicity with 92 men who had never been treated for mental illness. All subjects completed a semistructured interview about specific risk behaviors for sexually transmitted infections that they may have engaged in during the preceding year.


RESULTS
The 49 patients with mental disorders who had been sexually active in the preceding year were significantly more likely than the 78 sexually active comparison subjects to have known their sexual partner for less than one day and to report having been pressured into unwanted sexual intercourse. A strong but not significant trend was found for sexually active patients to have had sex with a male partner and sex with a drug user. Overall, the patients with mental disorders answered ten questions measuring AIDS knowledge questions significantly less well than the comparison subjects.


CONCLUSIONS
The results underscore the priority for developing programs for preventing risk behaviors for sexually transmitted infections among men with mental disorders.
Coverdale
J H
JH
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, Faculty of Medicine and Health Science, University of Auckland in New Zealand.
Turbott
S H
SH
D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000523:psychology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009520:New Zealand / Q000453:epidemiology; D010353:Patient Education as Topic / Q000379:methods; D012309:Risk-Taking; D012725:Sexual Behavior / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012749:Sexually Transmitted Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires