title: Do sexual risk behaviors differ between heterosexual youth infected with HIV perinatally versus sexually?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine if sexually active heterosexual HIV-infected 15- to 24-year-old youth have different sexual or other risk behaviors depending on whether they were infected perinatally or heterosexually.
  
  
  METHODS
  We compared youth aged 15 to 24 years who acquired HIV perinatally or sexually and were interviewed in-person or by phone for partner services by the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. We included heterosexually active youth with at least one sexual partner of the opposite sex in the past 12 months, and excluded men who have sex with men and injection drug users. We used χ(2) tests and t tests to compare demographics, sexual risk behaviors, partner services outcomes, and viral loads.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Both groups reported few partners (median 1, mean 2), and only 12% of partners of perinatally infected youth were previously diagnosed (18% of sexually infected youths' partners). A minority reported always using condoms. Both groups had similar rates of sexually transmitted infections and median HIV plasma RNA (perinatally infected: 5,140 copies/mL; sexually infected: 6,835 copies/mL). Despite these similarities, among tested partners not previously HIV diagnosed, none of 17 named by perinatally infected youth was newly HIV diagnosed, whereas 21% (8/39, p = .09) of those named by sexually infected youth were newly diagnosed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Though perinatally infected youth did not transmit HIV infection to previously undiagnosed partners, they had similar HIV-related risk behaviors to youth infected sexually who reported on risks that led to their infection. HIV prevention among HIV-infected youth remains a critical challenge.
authors.affiliation: New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, Bureau of HIV Prevention and Control, Long Island City, NY, USA. tamarrenaud@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Tamar C
authors.initials: TC
authors.lastname: Renaud
authors.forename: Angelica
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bocour
authors.forename: Adey
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tsega
authors.forename: Kent A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Sepkowitz
authors.forename: Chi-Chi N
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Udeagu
authors.forename: Colin W
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Shepard
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000635:transmission*; D020010:Heterosexuality; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D011247:Pregnancy; D012309:Risk-Taking; D012725:Sexual Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D015229:Sexually Transmitted Diseases, Viral / Q000635:transmission; D019562:Viral Load; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Adolescents; HIV; Partner services; Perinatal infection; Risk behaviors; Viral load