A Cross-Sectional Study on Attitudes to and Understanding of Risk of Acquisition of HIV: Design, Methods and Participant Characteristics.
BACKGROUND
The annual number of new human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infections in the United Kingdom among men who have sex with men (MSM) has risen, and remains high among heterosexuals. Increasing HIV transmission among MSM is consistent with evidence of ongoing sexual risk behavior in this group, and targeted prevention strategies are needed for those at risk of acquiring HIV.


OBJECTIVE
The Attitudes to and Understanding of Risk of Acquisition of HIV (AURAH) study was designed to collect information on HIV negative adults at risk of HIV infection in the United Kingdom, based on the following parameters: physical and mental health, lifestyle, patterns of sexual behaviour, and attitudes to sexual risk.


METHODS
Cross-sectional questionnaire study of HIV negative or undiagnosed sexual health clinic attendees in the United Kingdom from 2013-2014.


RESULTS
Of 2630 participants in the AURAH study, 2064 (78%) were in the key subgroups of interest; 580 were black Africans (325 females and 255 males) and 1484 were MSM, with 27 participants belonging to both categories.


CONCLUSIONS
The results from AURAH will be a significant resource to understand the attitudes and sexual behaviour of those at risk of acquiring HIV within the United Kingdom. AURAH will inform future prevention efforts and targeted health promotion initiatives in the HIV negative population.
Institute of Epidemiology and Health Care, Research Department of Infection and Population Health, UCL, London, United Kingdom. j.sewell@ucl.ac.uk.
Janey
http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7148-2391
J
Sewell
Andrew
http://orcid.org/0000-0003-1386-0627
A
Speakman
Andrew N
http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2384-4807
AN
Phillips
Fiona C
http://orcid.org/0000-0001-6851-5471
FC
Lampe
Ada
http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2771-7880
A
Miltz
Richard
http://orcid.org/0000-0002-9572-193X
R
Gilson
David
http://orcid.org/0000-0001-6857-7920
D
Asboe
Nneka
http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2616-6394
N
Nwokolo
Christopher
http://orcid.org/0000-0002-4562-7945
C
Scott
Sara
http://orcid.org/0000-0001-6457-3877
S
Day
Martin
M
Fisher
Amanda
http://orcid.org/0000-0002-4632-2035
A
Clarke
Jane
http://orcid.org/0000-0001-5294-8707
J
Anderson
Rebecca
http://orcid.org/0000-0002-9283-1789
R
O'Connell
Vanessa
http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0533-8292
V
Apea
Rageshri
http://orcid.org/0000-0002-3230-758X
R
Dhairyawan
Mark
http://orcid.org/0000-0002-8006-325X
M
Gompels
Paymaneh
http://orcid.org/0000-0002-7787-537X
P
Farazmand
Sris
http://orcid.org/0000-0001-8666-4817
S
Allan
Susan
http://orcid.org/0000-0002-9430-8780
S
Mann
Jyoti
http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2805-775X
J
Dhar
Alan
http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2821-0686
A
Tang
S Tariq
http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0608-3818
ST
Sadiq
Stephen
http://orcid.org/0000-0001-5496-6482
S
Taylor
Simon
http://orcid.org/0000-0002-3537-2432
S
Collins
Lorraine
http://orcid.org/0000-0002-5902-8011
L
Sherr
Graham
http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9676-6577
G
Hart
Anne M
http://orcid.org/0000-0003-1330-7100
AM
Johnson
Alec
http://orcid.org/0000-0003-1850-1463
A
Miners
Jonathan
http://orcid.org/0000-0002-8392-9063
J
Elford
Alison
http://orcid.org/0000-0001-8817-4651
A
Rodger
HIV infection; HIV negative; HIV testing; HIV transmission; HIV undiagnosed; black Africans; health and wellbeing.; men who have sex with men; sexual risk behaviour