HIV treatment optimism and unsafe anal intercourse among HIV-positive men who have sex with men: findings from the positive connections study.
This study was designed to examine the impact of HIV treatment optimism on sexual risk among a racially diverse sample of HIV-positive MSM. Survey data were collected from 346 racially diverse HIV-positive MSM.


METHODS
18 years of age, male, at least one incident of unprotected anal intercourse (UAI) in the last year, currently on treatment. Other variables included demographics, sexual risk, depression, internalized homonegativity, HIV treatment history, alcohol/drug use and beliefs about HIV treatments (Susceptibility to transmit HIV, Severity of HIV infection and Condom Motivation). Those with lower income were more likely to report that HIV was less transmissible. A self-reported decrease in condom motivation was associated with being White, well-educated and increased alcohol/drug use. A decrease in Severity of HIV was associated with better mental health, being non-White and undetectable viral load. Sexual risk appears related to beliefs about how treatment affects the transmissibility of HIV. Race, socioeconomic status, alcohol/drug use, mental health and viral load were also associated with treatment beliefs.
Brennan
David J
DJ
Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada. david.brennan@utoronto.ca
Welles
Seth L
SL
Miner
Michael H
MH
Ross
Michael W
MW
Rosser
B R Simon
BR
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001294:Attitude to Health; D044383:Black People; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000208:ethnology / Q000635:transmission*; D006630:Hispanic or Latino; D006716:Homosexuality; D006801:Humans; D007182:Income; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012923:Social Class; D014481:United States; D047568:Unsafe Sex; D044465:White People; D055815:Young Adult; D001741:Black or African American
J Affect Disord. 2005 May;86(1):87-91
15820275
J Stud Alcohol. 1996 Sep;57(5):475-85
8858545
Sex Transm Infect. 2004 Dec;80(6):518-23
15572627
AIDS Care. 2009 Sep;21(9):1090-7
20024767
Health Soc Work. 2004 May;29(2):97-105
15156842
MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2008 Sep 12;57(36):985-9
18784639
Health Psychol. 1998 Nov;17(6):546-50
9848805
AIDS Educ Prev. 2003 Aug;15(4):294-308
14516015
MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2005 Nov 18;54(45):1149-53
16292247
AIDS. 2008 May 31;22(9):1071-7
18520351
Int J STD AIDS. 2001 May;12(5):310-4
11368805
AIDS. 2001 Feb 16;15(3):369-78
11273217
J Acquir Immune Defic Syndr. 2007 Aug 15;45(5):603-5
17704688
N Engl J Med. 2000 Mar 30;342(13):921-9
10738050
AIDS. 2002 Mar 29;16(5):775-80
11964534
Arch Sex Behav. 2003 Dec;32(6):555-72
14574099
AIDS Behav. 2005 Jun;9(2):167-76
15933836
AIDS Behav. 2003 Dec;7(4):353-62
14707532
Health Psychol. 2007 Sep;26(5):650-6
17845117
J Acquir Immune Defic Syndr. 2006 Mar;41(3):342-4
16540935
AIDS. 2004 Jan 23;18(2):303-9
15075549
AIDS. 2002 Jul 26;16(11):1537-44
12131192
AIDS. 1998 Jul 9;12(10):F91-5
9677158
Ann Behav Med. 2001 Fall;23(4):304-12
11761348
J Acquir Immune Defic Syndr. 2004 Dec 1;37(4):1514-9
15602130
AIDS. 1997 Jul;11(8):987-93
9223732
J Acquir Immune Defic Syndr. 2000 Mar 1;23(3):266-71
10839663
J Sex Res. 2005 Aug;42(3):238-48
19817037
JAMA. 2004 Jul 14;292(2):224-36
15249572
JAMA. 1997 Jan 8;277(2):145-53
8990341
JAMA. 2007 Nov 28;298(20):2412-4
18042919
AIDS. 2005 Sep 2;19(13):1423-4
16103774
Health Psychol. 2000 Mar;19(2):134-45
10762097
J Acquir Immune Defic Syndr. 2003 Apr 15;32(5):545-50
12679708
J Psychosom Res. 2003 Mar;54(3):263-9
12614836
JAMA. 2008 Aug 6;300(5):520-9
18677024
AIDS. 1999 Nov 12;13(16):2289-94
10563714
Am J Public Health. 2001 Jun;91(6):883-8
11392927
AIDS. 2007 Oct 1;21(15):2083-91
17885299