Changes in sexual behavior among HIV-infected women after initiation of HAART.
OBJECTIVE
We assessed the association between initiation of highly active antiretroviral treatment (HAART) regimens and sexual risk behaviors among HIVinfected women.


METHODS
We analyzed data from 724 women who initiated HAART between January 1996 and January 2001 and who had pre-HAART viral loads at or above 400 copies per milliliter.


RESULTS
Sexually active women were less likely (odds ratio [OR] = 0.79) to report 2 or more partners during a 6-month period after HAART initiation than before HAART initiation. However, the risk for unprotected sex was higher after HAART initiation than before HAART initiation among all sexually active women (both those who reported 2 or more partners [OR = 1.84] and those who reported 1 partner [OR = 1.22]).


CONCLUSIONS
Sexual risk behaviors are associated with receipt of therapy but not with therapeutic response, indicating a risk for transmission among female HAART recipients.
Wilson
Tracey E
TE
Department of Preventive Medicine and Community Health, State University of New York, Downstate Medical Center, Brooklyn, NY 11203, USA. tracey.wilson@downstate.edu
Gore
Mary Elizabeth
ME
Greenblatt
Ruth
R
Cohen
Mardge
M
Minkoff
Howard
H
Silver
Sylvia
S
Robison
Esther
E
Levine
Alexandra
A
Gange
Stephen J
SJ
D000328:Adult; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000453:epidemiology; D023241:Antiretroviral Therapy, Highly Active / Q000379:methods / Q000523:psychology*; D001294:Attitude to Health; D018791:CD4 Lymphocyte Count; D002140:California / Q000453:epidemiology; D002641:Chicago / Q000453:epidemiology; D003863:Depression / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D004219:District of Columbia; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000523:psychology; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D009519:New York City / Q000453:epidemiology; D015995:Prevalence; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D012309:Risk-Taking; D021841:Safe Sex / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012747:Sexual Partners; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014930:Women / Q000193:education / Q000523:psychology*